Mark of Arianrhod
by Minstrel'sTales
Summary: AU. Sequel to Daughter of Arianrhod. This story follows Arthur and the gang as they try to find Merlin and defeat Cairon despite Hale's death. And Arianrhod has a few tricks up her sleeve.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: We do not own Merlin - all rights go to BBC and Shine Unlimited. Hale, Cairon, Jade, Ide, Actica and all of its characters belong to us, though.

_**PART ONE**_

**PROLOGUE**

_"You can't die on us now!" Gwen sobbed into the girl's hair. Arthur knelt down and put his hand on hers, which she took and squeezed tight. His face was grim. Gwaine stroked the girl's lifeless face. His eyes were empty and his face was pale. He looked numb, as if he couldn't or wouldn't believe what he was seeing. His mouth was tight with the effort of holding back tears. Percy, Elyan, and Sir Leon had red eyes. Lancelot's face was grim and blank. Ide and Jade stood away from the rest of them, observing their new found friends as they mourned._

_"Who was it?" Gwaine whispered brokenly. "Who killed... her?" He couldn't say her name. He turned to Ide and Jade. Their faces were placid, but there was fire and grief in their eyes for their lost sister._

_"Only one person. But why would he come?" Ide was mumbling to herself._

_"It was Cairon. He must have sent Morgana and Mordred to kill Hale. When they didn't, he came and did it himself. He wanted to get it over with." Jade was as blunt as a wooden sword. There was hostility and hurt in Gwaine's eyes._

_"Don't you care about the death of your sister?" he cried. "You stand there as if nothing has happened! Can't you see this?"_

_"There is nothing that can be done!" Jade cried._

_"You are witches, aren't you? Why can't you just heal her?" He said that as if talking to them was the most disgusting thing he could ever do. Hostility grew on Jade's face, but she didn't say anything._

_"It is not that easy," Ide spoke for her. "He used powerful magic that we can't undo. You must not tamper with these kinds of things. We can't tip the scales of life. If we do, the life of another will take her place. And we don't have the heart or power to do so."_

_"So what are we going to do now?" Gwen asked as she took a deep breath._

_"We shall do what you've all done with the dead. We'll have a proper burial for her." Gwen whimpered as Ide said those last few words._

_"We can't burn her body."_

_"We must!" Ide said, vexed by the situation. They all looked on sadly as Gwaine traced his finger around her soft lips. He took a deep breath and carried her as he stood up. Discouraged and with heavy hearts, they all scattered to get ready for her burial. When the pile of wood had been stacked properly and the body was laid on top, they circled around the pyre. Heads hung, Ide and Jade started to chant._

_"_Anweg mid heolstor ond lædan mid eow leoht._" Arthur exchanged a glance with his fellow knights. He was still uncomfortable with the fact that they were in the presence of two immensely powerful magical beings._

_"Away with darkness and bring with you light," Ide translated her sister's words with the same passion and seriousness._

_"_Læfan mid eower cearo ond lædan mid eow ealdor._"_

_"Leave with your sorrow," Ide's eyes were red and tears were streaming down her face as she said her words. "Leave with your sorrow and bring with you life!" Ide and Jade looked at each other and held hands and hollered at the top of their lungs as if they wanted the whole world to hear their final words._

_"_Baerne!_" There was a spark in the wood. "_Baerne!_" they yelled louder. A cold drift passed by and blew out the spark they had started. That didn't faze them; they simply closed their eyes and held hands tighter. "_Baerne!_" They said it so loudly that it echoed in Arthur's head and seemed to echo in the trees, the ground, and the sky. Jade and Ide opened their eyes. Their once blue and brown eyes were now glowing with a golden light. They were smiling brilliantly, as if they had just accomplished something they had worked on for a really long time. Arthur, Gwen, Gwaine, and the other knights looked even sadder as the fire started. They stood there for a few minutes, watching their friend burn. It was very cold, and there was snow on the ground even though it was only the beginning of autumn. It was a wonder the fire could burn so brightly and with such life. It was as if the fire gained more life and more strength as it ate at her flesh._

_Ide and Jade were proud of what they had done, and slowly walked away. Arthur saw this, let go of the sobbing Gwen, and ran after the sisters who were retreating back into the forest._

_"Where are you going?" he yelled at them._

_"We will return back to our home. You do not need us anymore, our time with you has ended," Jade and Ide said in unison._

_"But you were supposed to help us get rid of Cairon! Though... she is gone, we still have the same goal." Jade walked up to Arthur and wisdom rippled in her eyes._

_"We cannot help you with what you seek. You seek to destroy Cairon, yes?" Arthur looked at her with intense eyes as if to say, _duh_. "But by means of killing him. You want to destroy all that cross your path who may be a cohort of Cairon. And you will do that until you get to him yourself, and you will avenge her death and countless others."_

_"Of course." Arthur raised his eyebrows. He was slightly annoyed; he didn't have the patience for a wise talk._

_"That will get you nowhere. If it doesn't get you anywhere, then it will push you farther away from reaching your goal. By killing hundreds of Cairon's men, that only makes you as bad as him. You will be killing hundreds of innocents who are only fighting for what they believe in. Their opinions just happen to differ from yours. If you go after Cairon, you will be waging a war far worse than anything mankind has ever seen. You cannot stop violence with violence as much as you can snuff fire with fire. If you feed more to the fire, it only grows. It is the same for this battle. We have escalated it much farther than it needs to be. Arthur Pendragon," Arthur's eyes sparkled a little, "Heed my words, and go your own way back to Camelot. Defend your people as you have been. But beware: don't let your heart give out when your kingdom needs it to be stronger than ever," Jade said this and looked over at Lancelot, who was holding Gwen as she wept by the fire. Arthur narrowed his eyes a little in suspicion._

_"Farewell, Arthur Pendragon." Jade and Ide smiled sadly and disappeared into the forest. Arthur walked to his companions and told them that they would be homeward bound. They walked away as the last ember died out, and the body was gone._

* * *

><p><em>It was raining hard. The sky was angry. Something had been disrupted and disturbed, and that could not be left alone. The figure in white walked gracefully to where the pile of wood had been stacked, then later burned. A body had been there. They thought that they burned it, but they didn't see what really happened. They didn't know the truth, that such a divine spirit couldn't be killed by fire. Fire was no match for the power of this individual. The fair, ageless lady walked as her long white dress and cloak dragged across the mud and dirt, but there was not one stain on it. She was dry from head to toe; it was if there was an invisible force keeping her from getting wet. She walked over to the ashes and chanted a spell. The spell sent the dust spinning in the air, slowly clustering together. Elements of the earth were sucked into the spinning cycle. The woman's hair whipped all around her face, and the wind was blowing strong, but she was able to make fire from her hands and send it into the spinning cycle. The wind brought with it the rain, which went in the cycle as well. The fair lady had a crescent moon made out of griffin bone, which she sent in along with a crystal diamond. She pulled from under her cloak the book of knowledge, and sent that in. She repeated this with the many things she wanted her creation to possess. Lastly, she conjured a glowing blue butterfly from thin air. It hovered in front of her, fluttering its wings. She looked at it and smiled.<em>

_"_Ætfleogan!_" She told it to fly to the spinning cycle. It slowly fluttered into the whirling mud, rain, wind and fire. It flew into the heart of the creation, and the spinning became stronger. The wind picked up speed, and now the trees were swaying back and forth profusely. Arianrhod was smiling. Her brilliant smile shone as brightly as the moon. When the wind and spinning stopped, Arianrhod looked to see her creation. _

_The girl was naked and pale. Her eyes were glazed over, and she stood as still as a rock. Her mouth was hanging open slightly, her hair was in her face, but still she stood erect. Arianrhod walked to the girl, closed her mouth and brushed the hair out of her face._

_"_Motan eow agan ealdor!_ May you have life!" Arianrhod's eyes glowed a dark purple color. She was tipping the scales of life, and only one so powerful, and with the darkest of magic could do so. She walked around the girl so that she was facing her back. Arianrhod placed her hands on her shoulder blade and pressed hard. Her eyes glowed, but this time with a golden light. The golden light was also coming from her fair hands._

_"_Æðele._" She breathed the word noble into the girl's ear. When she lifted her hand, there was a mark on the girl's back. It was a simple wheel, but the mark shone faintly, as if it were made of silver._

_With her head raised high and a wicked smile, she lay the girl on the ground and made a tunic, pants, and boots appear on her body. Before she left, she laid a sword across her chest. It had the same symbol as the mark on the girl's back. Arianrhod's curly white hair curtained her face as she bent down and kissed the girl on her forehead._

_"For you, my daughter, I bestow upon you the sword Leuxs. It will be your friend in the throes of war and battle. Wield and use it wisely, my daughter, and remember the ones closest to you are the ones that will stab you in the heart." With that, she closed her daughter's eyes, said a prayer of life, and disappeared into the forest. The rain stopped and was replaced by snow and strong winds. The snowflakes slowly fell on the girl's face, making her look otherworldly. The snowflakes clustered together and were blown around in the wind. The snowflakes started to take the shape of a butterfly. The ghostly butterfly began flapping its delicate wings. As it got closer to the girl's face, it started to solidify and gain some of its blue glow. It landed on the girl's face and fluttered its wings slowly. It rested there until the sudden flare of the girl's nostrils startled it, and it flew off into the forest._


	2. Chapter 1: Awakening

_**PART ONE**_

**Chapter 1: Awakening**

_**HALE**_

Flashes of color and sound flooded my mind. The sudden appearance of so many images at once overwhelmed me, and I clutched my head. It wasn't in pain; it was more in a futile attempt to stop or at least slow the flood of images crowding my mind. One moment, I was watching a skinny young man gardening; the next, his image burned up into the scene of a huge fire. Then a wave of images flashed before my eyes. I couldn't quite name any of the faces, but they looked familiar and so did the surroundings. The final thing I saw was myself; I was running through a forest. I could feel the anger, and the hurt. I could feel the wind tossing my hair everywhere. And as I died, I could feel the warmth of my body escaping through my fingers. Then flashes of scenes I hadn't seen in my life passed through my mind. There was screaming, and I could smell death. Finally, I managed to push the images to the back of my mind so that they weren't the focus of my attention.

A blast of energy spread through my body as my eyes opened up to the world. It was cold and dark. There was something cool and moist on my face. I wiped it off and saw that it was white and fluffy. What was this called again? I racked my brain, trying to remember what they called this substance. After a while, I decided to forget about it and see where I was. I rolled over onto my stomach, and something cold dug into my hip. It was long and shone in the moonlight. It had a golden handle and a sharp tip. I had forgotten what that was called as well.

I clambered to my knees, stiff from lying down in the cold for so long. My surroundings looked slightly familiar, but I just couldn't remember anything. I started to panic. Remember, remember, what are these brown crunchy things called on the ground? Yes, they were called... leaves? Leaves. Yes. And what is that up there, past those tall brown and green things? I reminded myself that they were trees, and past that was the night sky. The stars twinkled and the moon shone brightly. As I looked up, another cold white puff landed on my nose. It was called... snow! That was it. Touching the delicate flake, I looked up again and assessed my situation. It was snowing, but not too much. I stood up and brushed the snow off of my legs and hair. My hair was long past my shoulders, and it was curly. Is that how it was supposed to be? Where was I? Why was I here? Questions started to form in my head, then the question that I had tried to avoid finally wrestled its way to the front of my conscience: Who was I? I was frantically trying to find the answer. Names started to flash in my head, but none that I knew were mine. Gwen, Helwys, Arthur, Gwaine, Merlin... where did those names come from? The last two names stood out more than the rest for some reason. The first - Gwaine - I associated with... confusion? The second I associated with fear. Why was that? Who were those people? Speaking of which, who was I? Where did I come from? Was my name Lidya, or Vivien? The snow started to turn into hail and I ran to the trees for shelter. What on earth was my name? I walked for a while, contemplating all the possibilities of my name.

Eventually, I came upon a small cave. It wasn't too deep, but it was enough to protect me from the ever-changing weather. I walked into the cave and went all the way to the back. It was small and cozy. It wasn't warm, so I decided to look for some wood to start a fire. I supposed the cave had been used before because I could see telltale traces of a fire: scorch marks and a slight impression in the stone. Shivering, I raced back outside to grab some wood, and then swore when I realized all the wood I had access to was wet. Perfect; I couldn't remember my own name, but I could remember all those swear words. Muttering under my breath, I plopped down beside the "fire pit" area and threw my soggy wood in. As I stared at the wood, wishing I could light it, a strange word began to form in my head. I vaguely recognized it, but I couldn't remember where I had heard it before.

"_Forbearnan!_" I whispered. There was a spark, and then my formerly soggy wood was a well-rounded fire, crackling away cheerfully. I was stunned. I hadn't realized that was a word of magic. Then I smiled. I had a fire! Watching the flickering flames and the shadows dancing on the walls lifted my spirits considerably. I leaned back against the hard stone and sighed. My thoughts returned to those names that had popped into my head as the fire slowly began to warm my frozen body. Gwaine... why was that so familiar, and yet so distant? Was this Gwaine someone I once knew? Or do I know him now? And Merlin... it was such an unusual name. But this Merlin gave me worry and fear. Should I fear this person? Or should I fear _for_ them? I rested my head in my hands. I was so confused. Maybe a good night's sleep would help me remember. With that plan in mind, I scooted as close as I could to the fire without placing myself in range of the flying embers. Sighing, I settled down and closed my eyes.

* * *

><p><em>I was standing in a clearing, but I wasn't alone. Two people sat by a small fire, and I could make out the figures of several others moving through the trees. I squinted my eyes, and managed to count heads. There were seven people in all. I walked around, and was surprised to find my footsteps made no noise. I was even more surprised when a strong, dark-skinned man carrying firewood walked right through me. Was I a ghost? I should have panicked, but something told me this was completely normal. There was also something in the atmosphere that wouldn't allow me to panic. So I stayed calm and rational. The man placed the firewood in front of the group of people. His strong muscled arms rippled as he dumped the wood on the ground. They all wiped their brows with what seemed to be frustration. Why were they frustrated? I drifted closer to hear what they were saying.<em>

_"We've lost two people. One is definitely dead, and the other is missing. If he's with Morgana, he'll probably be dead soon. We have to do something!" snapped the man who carried the wood. He was talking to another young man and a young woman. The woman's eyes were red; she had clearly been crying. The blond young man beside her looked solemn._

_"I know. But what can we do? The sisters left us, so we have no guidance and no real supplies." The dark-skinned man threw his hands up in impatience._

_"I don't know! We could try tracking down Morgana -"_

_"And how exactly do you plan to do that, Elyan?" the other man asked. "She's an extremely powerful witch." I could hear the disbelief and disgust in his voice as he uttered the last word. "If she doesn't want to be found, she won't be found. At least not by the likes of us."_

_"Well, we can try, can't we? We can... I don't know, go back to the dryad fortress and look for clues. But we have to do something, Arthur!" Elyan cried. Arthur sat broodingly. The pretty young woman beside him spoke up._

_"My brother is right," she said quietly. "We need to form a plan. Ever since... Hale..." Her eyes filled with tears. Why was that name so familiar? It was more familiar than the others. "Ever since she... died, we've been wandering around aimlessly. The fate of the entire kingdom - and possibly all of the other kingdoms - rests in our hands. We must start somewhere." Arthur stood up abruptly._

_"Maybe, but how are we supposed to motivate everyone, Gwen? They - we are all still recovering from Hale's death. I mean, look at Gwaine!" He gestured to a young man with long brown hair curled up at the base of a tree. I looked closely at his face, and then recoiled in shock. He looked dead... but he was still breathing. There was no life in his face. I could see no happiness, no sadness, no frustration... nothing. I wondered why he was affected more than the rest by the death of this Hale. The others were still functioning. I racked my brain, trying to find something, _anything_ that would explain why this name was so important._

_"It's not just Hale either. Merlin is still missing." Merlin? Why did that name instantly strike worry and fear in my heart? Oh. Maybe it's because he's missing. But why should I be worried? He obviously meant as much as Hale did, and even more so to Arthur._

_"Hale went to go look for him before she died." Everyone looked defeated as Gwen said this with a sob. Then a young man sitting not too far from her looked at them all with quiet determination in his brown eyes._

_"We must continue with her cause, even though we don't know what we're doing." They all looked at him like he was mad. I personally agreed with the rest of the group, but I also believed that they really needed to get going. If I knew them, I would just yell at them to get moving and start doing something useful._

_"Clearly, Lancelot, you didn't hear anything of what I just said. We have no help!"_

_"We don't need help. Arthur, don't tell me you've forgotten all of the times you've helped people. Remember when you rescued Gwen and I?" Arthur flinched, and Gwen looked down as if embarrassed. Another man stood up. He seemed like the least intimidating person in the world._

_"Lancelot is right. We must continue on," he declared. A tall, stocky man stood up too._

_"I agree with Sir Leon," he said in a quiet voice that didn't match his appearance at all. Sir Leon beamed at him._

_"Excellent! Now, who else agrees with Lancelot?" Everyone looked around at each other, and one by one they agreed. Arthur was last._

_"Well... all right..." he said reluctantly. A voice from the shadows spoke up._

_"Count me in as well." Everyone - including me - turned towards the source of the voice. Gwaine was standing up. "She... she would have wanted this. She would have wanted us to continue without her. If she were here, we would already be gone because she would have smacked us and yelled at us to help her do something useful." This Hale girl sounded like a fighter._

_"It's settled then. We must make plans, but for now get some rest. We set out at dawn." Arthur stood up. There was something very regal about him, even though he and the others looked like they had been through hell and back. I had a feeling I would find out why later. Everything started to swirl into one, and everyone's voices started to fade as I fell deeper into my dream state._

* * *

><p>Somehow, I felt having a dream like that wasn't unusual. It was almost comforting, actually. Those people were looking for this Merlin, and they were continuing a cause under Hale's name. What I would do for comrades like that. When I woke up that morning, my fire had died down and the wood was black. I walked outside and saw an odd sight. The forest was covered with knee-deep snow, but green, red brown, and orange leaves were scattered everywhere. In the distance, I could a doe jumping through the snow, looking for something green to eat. The air was clear and crisp, and everything was so beautiful and calm. I realized that I was awfully hungry, so I decided to go look for anything that I remembered to be edible. I decided not to leave the shiny metal stick, and brought it with me.<p>

I marched through the snow. The depth of it proved hard to walk through without stumbling and falling. I walked past fallen trees that were covered by a fresh white blanket, and I saw tracks of some kind of small animal leading to somewhere behind the fallen trees. I decided to follow the trail; maybe I would find the animal the tracks belonged to. Hopefully, it would be enough for a light snack. I followed the tracks up and over a huge tree, which didn't take as long as I thought it would. I felt in shape, and very much alive. I heaved myself over the gargantuan tree and jumped down onto the other side. I did this a few more times with the other trees behind the first one.

Finally, I got to the last one. It had a huge, gaping hole, so big that I could see the other side of it. The little animal footprints went through the tree, so I followed. I was curious as well to see what may be inside the trunk of the tree. I had to bend down a little to keep my head from banging the entrance. There were some mushrooms growing on the inside of the tree like ornaments. The path was clear, but since there was no snow inside, I had lost the tracks of the small animal. I knew that any normal person would probably have turned back, but I really wanted to see what was on the other side of this tree. I walked through without hesitation and was met by a beautiful sight. It was a huge clearing where the hills were all covered in snow. Splitting the hills was a long narrow stream that ran to the other side of the forest. I climbed down the hill to the stream. Instinct led me there and told me that my sword - I had finally remembered what it was called - would come in handy.

When I got to the stream, I was disappointed to find it frozen solid. I should have guessed that's what I would find, but I was too excited to think rationally. Experimentally, I poked the stream with my sword. A sharp noise cut the still air. A small crack had formed on the top of the water. After trying to break the ice a few times, I sat down and thrust the sword into the snow in front of me. I looked around for any prints of the small animal I had been following. There were none, but a few feet away from me, a small marten scratched the ice. I smiled and walked over. Surprisingly, it didn't run away like I thought it would. It continued to scratch at the ice even more fiercely as I got closer. I chuckled and curiously walked over to see what it was so excited about. _Ah!_ I thought as I saw a big juicy fish swimming around in circles. I looked at the small marten as its little tongue licked its lips.

"You want some of this, don't you?" I laughed as it licked its lips again. "You're going to have to share it with me as well, you know. Now back up, I'll get us our dinner." As if it understood exactly what I said, it crossed to the other side of the stream, sat and waited. I raised my eyebrows at this strange creature, then raised my sword high. The little creature squeaked, trying to communicate with me.

"One salmon coming up!" I yelled as I plunged the sword into the ice. A huge crack grew, racing down on both sides. When I saw that didn't break the ice completely, I whacked it once again. There was a splash as the sword was dunked into the water and the ice floated and cleared a way for the little marten to catch the fish. It happily carried the wriggling fish in its mouth, and was about to scamper off when it looked back. It waddled to me and spat the fish down next to my foot, nudging it towards where I stood. I smiled at it and pierced the fish with my sword.

Together we traveled downstream for a few miles until I found a nice patch of semi-green grass conveniently located right by the stream. I sat there, laid my sword on the ground and made myself comfortable. I found some dry wood and kindling, also strangely convenient. I started the fire and built a wooden structure, which I later remembered was called a rotisserie. I stuck the fish in the center of it and slowly rotated it so that the fire would cook it on all sides. I got up and went to go look for something that could carry water. There were no animals I knew that could provide me with any sort of hide, and I didn't have the heart to use the little marten.

After looking for a few minutes, I decided I could let the fish cook unattended for a little longer. When I got back, I sat down next to my sword and my little friend was resting atop my water canteen. I turned the fish around when I realized that I had a water canteen. Where did this come from? Surely I didn't have it with me all long? I told myself I would investigate this matter later and rushed down to the stream and scooped up enough water to fill my bottle. I drank the sweet water thirstily until I was full. I got up and walked back to where my feast was awaiting me. The fish was cooked to perfection, so I put out the fire and took the fish off of the wood. I gutted the fish and cut off its head with my sword. I gave that to the marten that I secretly called Gwaine. I didn't know why I decided to name it that, but I felt it suited the little guy rather well. I ruffled the top of its head. It hissed and bit my hand.

"Ow!" I squealed. My finger was bleeding slightly. I sucked on my wound and sat there quietly as it ate the rest of the fish I didn't finish. "All right then, eat what you want, but I am not catching anymore for you," I teased my new friend. I rubbed my shoulders to keep warm. The sun beat down on the white snow, causing me to sweat. I sniffed as my nose started to run a little. Gwaine the marten came and snuggled against my boots. I smiled at it and tried to stroke it again. Gwaine let me this time, and I let out a sigh of relief.

"So, do you have a family? I don't have one... well, at least I don't think I do. I don't remember anything, like who I am, where I came from, or why I am here." I frowned as I remembered my current state of mind. I had only my wits and my instincts; no memories, no sense of direction, and no sense of self to help me out. I instinctively put my hand to my neck where a necklace was. Almost instantaneously, there was a sparking sensation between my hand and the necklace. Memories of someone's life flooded my head. A girl's voice kept yelling, "_Hale!_" She wasn't the only one; others were screaming out the name in distress as well. Then I was sucked into someone's body. I was reliving a memory again. My lips were against another's, and my head was pounding. Why would anyone kiss another when their head hurts this much? But the kiss was easing the pain, and my heart was racing. Then my nose was filled with smoke. I choked on it, and was awoken from the trance. What was that? Why do I keep having these visions? Were they my memories or memories of another life? What's happening to me? I groaned and put my head on my knees. Gwaine and I sat there for a while, until finally it was too cold to be sitting still. Then I stood up, brushed myself off and headed back to my cave. Little Gwaine apparently decided I was his new buddy, so he scampered after me. Once back in my cave, I huddled up next to the fire and watched the flames dance, my head still swimming with thousands of unanswered questions.


	3. Chapter 2: Moving On

**Chapter 2: Moving On**

_**LANCELOT**_

There was a new light in Gwaine's eyes, a new purpose. It wasn't significant, but it was definitely there, and a welcome change from the lifeless shell he used to be. As we began our quest to find our missing friend, we began to notice Gwaine taking more responsibility than he had before. He had also sworn off drinking. We all admired the positive changes in our friend, but the approving smiles were darkened by the price that had come with the new Gwaine. Every now and then we would catch a glimpse of his pain - so much more potent than the pain of the others and myself - and be reminded of our lost friend. I could see that Gwen was in much pain as well. Through our travels, Gwen and Hale grew close, and this whole event seemed to take more of a toll on her than on the others. Her once beautiful glowing face was worn out with worry lines, and her eyes weren't as bright as before.

We decided to take a rest this one night for we had been walking for four days without rest, and everyone was about to collapse. When I saw that Arthur had gone off into the woods - probably to find somewhere he could wash up - I sat down next to her in front of the fire. Everyone else had fallen asleep instantly. As much as it pained me, I could see there was something between Gwen and Arthur.

She stared into the fire with such sadness that it broke my heart.

"Gwen," I said as I sat down next to her. "We must stay strong. I know this is all so much to cope with, and I understand, but -"

"Do you understand, Lancelot? Do you know how much pain I've been through my entire life? I've been a slave to the royal family, and then after so many long years of being loyal, they go and kill my father! The lady Morgana... she wasn't just my lady; she was my friend. I remember the time she forced Arthur to rescue me, and you as well although she hadn't known you were there. She turned on me too in the end. She tried to bring about my death. And it just seems that the world is falling apart and I can't do anything about it! Do you know what that feels like?" She started sobbing hard. I wanted to comfort her, but I was scared, too. I could feel all of her pain and silent rage spilling from the pores on her skin.

"I'm sorry. I..." I realized I had no idea what to say. I didn't know what she had been through, and as much as I wished it wasn't so, I couldn't help her. I hated feeling so helpless. She wiped her tears away, then smiled at me. My heart melted, but I didn't want to make it obvious what I was feeling. She had enough on her mind already.

"Don't feel sorry. I wouldn't have learned as much as I did if it weren't for all of this." She put her hand on my arm. "You have taught me many things, Lancelot. You seem to be the only one that's able to comfort me. Thank you." She leaned in close and kissed me on the cheek, then got up and settled down far away from the rest of us males. Her kiss still lingered on my cheek. I knew that kiss was purely out of friendship, nothing more. Her heart belonged to Arthur. I knew that; I just wished that wasn't true. She should be mine. I calmed myself down as Arthur came back. He pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows at me.

"What a journey this is," he said, and sat down next to me. I felt a little guilty about Gwen's kiss, but I reminded myself that it was simply her being friendly.

"Yes. I've never experienced so much pain at one time before." Arthur just nodded.

"Where do you think they took Merlin?"

"Who knows? Morgana is working for Cairon. Maybe they took him back to Actica."

"No, that's too obvious. She's probably got him stored away in a remote little cave or wherever it is witches live. The other question, though, is _why_ they would take him. He is the weakest of us. Maybe they saw him as an easy target." Arthur laughed a little.

"Morgana knew."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Knew what?"

_Well, she knows that he can use magic, and he's probably the strongest of us all._ "Knew how much he meant to you." Arthur chuckled nervously.

"What the devil are you talking about?"

"He may be your servant, but somehow you and Merlin share a friendship stronger than any I have ever seen. Otherwise you wouldn't be looking for him right now." Arthur looked defeated, and didn't even try to argue.

"He's such an _idiot_. I worry he's somehow going to get himself into more trouble than necessary. Merlin has a talent for attracting unwanted and unnecessary trouble, no matter what the circumstances. That's something he had in common with -" He stopped abruptly and there was an awkward silence as we both look toward where Gwen was apparently sleeping. Satisfied she was indeed asleep, he continued in a lower voice, "And he's hopeless with a sword! How can he defend himself? Usually it's up to me to step in and save his sorry behind!" He aimed an angry kick at the fire. Little did Arthur know how much Merlin did for him without him noticing. He put his head in his hands and sighed.

"I'd better rest; we have a long journey ahead of us. You should sleep too." He went to sleep close to the fire, near Sir Leon. I stared at the flickering flames. They seemed to be growing, just like my love for Guinevere was. And like the fire, it had a mind of its own; I could do nothing to stop it. I watched as it ate at the wood that gave it life, and eventually the crackling of the wood and the heat of the flames drowned my thoughts out.


	4. Chapter 3: The Merfolk

**Chapter 3: The Merfolk**

_**HALE**_

Gwaine and I walked downstream for hours. We stopped a few times when the little guy wanted to wash himself. I was tempted to throw him into my sack so that we could keep walking. Of course, I wasn't sure exactly where I was going. I also had no idea where we were going to settle down for the night; I had left my cozy little cave far behind. The dreams I'd been having since I first woke up had been occurring less and less. For some reason, this disturbed me. The dreams weren't exactly pleasant, but I got a strange sort of comfort in watching those people. Something told me they had good intentions, and I wanted to watch and see if they would be able to recover their missing friend. I was able to see what it was like to have a purpose in life. For now, my only obvious purpose was to figure out who I was, and to survive in the bitter environment I was in. I had learned to use my special abilities beyond making small fires for warmth. I was able to raise the water from underneath the frozen streams, and control the winds when it got too cold. I should have felt lonely, but I didn't because I had Gwaine with me.

I looked back to see that he had stopped. He was probably tired, so I picked him up and put him in my pouch where he would be warmer. When I started walking, I could hear the sound of light feet in the fresh blanket of snow. There was the odd sound of high-pitched laughter and a splash. I heard a squeal, then laughter again. The sounds were coming closer, so I ran to the closest cluster of pine trees. There was a young girl with a long golden braid going down her back. She wore a faded grey dress that had multiple dirt stains. Her face and hands were dirty too, even though she was splashing in the water. There was also a boy that looked a lot younger than her. He had messy brown hair, and he was in the same state as the girl. He wore a faded blue coat and brown undergarments. Both of their shoes were worn out and had holes in them. I feared for their safety, hoping that neither one of them would fall into the deathly cold water.

"Alec! Isolde! You ought to get away from there unless you want to fall sick and go like your cousin, Danny!" The kids ignored the cries of the older lady that was behind them. There were more people in the distance; I could start to hear them moving through the thick snow. Then I saw them. There were about thirty of them all following each other like a caravan; all the horses were loaded down with sacks and everyday objects. They consisted of mostly older, worn out folk. There were some young people - maybe six of them were about my age (whatever that was). Five were young children and the rest were older men and women. All of the youth were male, and I could see their tanned skin for they weren't wearing long sleeves. They were lean and muscular, and they each wore a golden earring in their left ear. Like most of the people in this group, they had dark hair, varying from curly to absolutely straight.

Isolde and Alec were far ahead of them, close enough to me so I was able to see Isolde push Alec playfully. But it was harder than Alec had expected, and he fell towards the water. There was a huge splash as Alec fell through the ice and into the river. Isolde screamed and pointed to the water. None of the adults were listening.

"He can't swim! Please, someone help!" Then everyone picked up their pace, but they didn't start running. They were going too slow, so I ran. I dropped my sack and my sword and I dove into the river.

The initial shock of the water was so electrifying I knew it should have killed me, but it didn't. I looked around and took in my surroundings; there wasn't much to see besides the few fish that swam past. I looked down to see the boy's body slowly sinking. What scared me more than the boy drowning was the fact that the river appeared to be bottomless; where was the riverbed?

I swam down to the boy and wrapped my arm around his small body. As I started to swim up, I felt the boy's body slip from my grasp. I looked down to see pale webbed hands pulling on his ankles. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the face of the creature. It's stringy green hair swirled around a face full of gray scales and a mouth with sharp yellow teeth. Its eyes were bloodshot and glazed over. I looked down to see that it was humanoid with a fish tail. The tail was bronze with spiky fins coming out of it.

The mermaid-like creature screeched and quickly swam downwards. I followed it, trying to keep up. Only a few more seconds and the boy would be dead. I would be dead. I racked my brain for obvious ways of getting the boy back. Maybe I could use magic on it. What is something that water creatures fear? I could think of only one thing that might scare it. I tried to make fire in the water, but that simply did not work. Instead, I caused crystals to form where my hand was pointed towards the creature. I was pretty sure fire and water shouldn't be able to cause that.

Suddenly, two other creatures came out of nowhere and bashed into me. They grabbed onto me and dug their bony fingers into my arms, dragging me down. I kicked frantically, only to find that the air in my lungs was lessening in my efforts. Their fingers gripped my arm so tightly that my blood circulation was cut off and my arms seemed immobile. Then a thought came to me. The sword was still up there. Maybe if I could call it to me, I'd be able to use it against these creatures. I closed my eyes and summoned all my strength. When I opened my eyes, everything looked grey. The creatures holding my arms let go and backed away in fright. Then something thin came hurling at me from the surface. It was my sword. I put my hand out and grabbed it. It was a lot lighter underwater than on land. I turned to the creatures and swung at them. I cut off part of the tail on one creature, and it exploded into millions of tiny bubbles. I pointed my sword to the other one, who retreated down. I followed it down as well, but this time I felt faster than I did before. Soon I realized there was, in fact, a river bottom, but the creature wasn't heading towards it; instead, it took a tunnel in the side of the river. I had never seen anything like this before. Frowning, I swam after it. A small voice in the back of my head wondered how I'd survived under water for so long, but the immediate part of my attention was focused on getting the boy back alive and well.

I was slowly catching up when I saw where the mermaid-thing was going. It was an underwater city swarming with these creatures. The enormous golden gates guarding the entrance were glowing. In the center of the city was a huge golden dome with golden spikes protruding in every direction, giving it the appearance of a giant golden sea urchin. It was hauntingly beautiful, but very eerie at the same time. Something was wrong; I couldn't tell what exactly, but I could feel it in the water. I tried to look for the one mermaid creature that had the little boy. Valuable time was slipping away - if not gone already - and I needed to get the boy out of here before it was too late. Finally, I spotted the mermaid dragging her prize along and I immediately followed.

I knew I could swim through the masses of merfolk with my sword and not get attacked. Every time I waved my sword, the merpeople would pull back with a hiss. I was just beginning to think that the sword would keep me safe until I saw some more of the creatures with spears of their own. As they approached, I waved my sword frantically. I could not afford any more time if I was to keep the boy from drowning. I had no idea if I would be able to hold my own against them when technically I was on their land (or lack thereof), but to my astonishment the creatures backed away as I waved the sword in their faces. Why were they backing away? I was one girl with a single sword, no protective clothing to speak of, clearly human and finless, and losing air. They had the upper hand. Yet they backed away as if I really was a threat they'd rather not tangle with. I looked at my sword, then back at them. Could it be there was more to the sword than I realized? I was fairly certain no ordinary sword would have kept armed merpeople away. Still puzzling over this, I swam as fast as I could in the direction I believed the mermaid and boy had gone.

The mouth of yet another cave loomed ahead. From what I could see of the boy, he was no longer struggling but had gone limp. I fought down my rising panic as I pushed myself to go faster, but how do you out swim a creature with fins? Shaking off my doubt, I realized with elation that the mermaid was slowing down. It didn't occur to me to check why; I just saw it as an opportunity for me to save the poor boy.

I was almost on top of the pair when she whirled around with a hiss. I could see now she was most definitely female. I waved the sword at her and although she backed away, she kept her hold on the boy. Then two other merpeople came. They looked different from the one with the boy. They were both built with an overwhelming amount of muscle. You could even see the muscles in their tails. These were probably the mermen. Their hair was spiked, unlike the flowing hair of the mermaid, but the facial features and the teeth were the same. They also had eyes that reminded me of the fish I had eaten earlier. They snorted, or at least attempted to, as little air bubbles escaped from their noses. Then they charged me. I pointed my sword at them, but they ignored it and rammed into me at full speed. I lost my grip on the sword and it slowly sank. They backed up to charge at me again. As I watched them coming at me, I looked down to see where my sword was. It was still falling down to the riverbed. I quickly swam towards it, barely missing the bashing of the two mermen. I grabbed my sword and turned around just in time to see one merman barreling towards me. This time he didn't ram into me but grabbed my neck. He was choking me. Though it seemed like I could breathe underwater, his grip on my neck was painful. I closed my eyes and I felt his grip on me loosen just a bit. I took my chance and my sword pierced his chest. He gurgled and frantically pulled the sword from his chest, but it was too late. As we watched, his eyes rolled back into his head and his body began to float towards the surface.

I was shaken by this turn of events. I had only meant to defend myself, not to kill. His companion watched the body gently float upward, and then he directed his fury at me. Faster than I believed possible, he sped towards me with his hands outstretched. Instinctively I dodged, tumbling in the wake of his charge. He wasn't trying to kill me though; he was fleeing. I was out of harm's way for the moment, but I still needed to find the boy. I went back to where I had last seen the mermaid, and was shocked to see what was before my eyes. The young boy's eyes were shut, and he was even paler than before. His lips were blue, and he looked absolutely limp as he swayed from side to side as the mermaid circled around him. She had tied him up with some water plants and was about to seal off his mouth when I came in and cut the plants with my sword. She looked surprised, but a hint of anger flickered across her dead eyes. She screeched, and I was soon surrounded by hundreds of merfolk. They all looked angry and there were hungry glints in their eyes. This was ridiculous. I thought of anything that would possibly distract the mermaid with the little boy, just enough so that I could get to him. Running through my options, I realized there was only one plausible choice; I had to use magic. I thought of what I wanted and closed my eyes. I could hear the merfolk coming at me, but I knew I had to stay put if this was going to work. I had to concentrate. _Furious as the darkening skies I'll be, stir up the sea and set us free._

Everything slowed down and turned gray like before as I saw the angry faces of the mermaids reaching out to tear me to pieces, but they didn't see what was coming for them. Time sped up again as I released all of my energy. Water spun around me creating a whirlpool and knocking the killer mermaids out of the way. I looked at the mermaid who had the boy, and summoned the whirlpool to take her away. Though she tried to escape, the whirlpool sucked her in hungrily. I could see hoards of mermaids coming at me, only to be sucked into the whirlpool seconds later. I watched as every last mermaid was sucked away, and the whirlpool faded. Nothing was left except for a few bubbles.


	5. Chapter 4: Meeting the Gypsies

**Chapter 4: Meeting the Gypsies**

_**HALE**_

I swam down to the little boy, whose body was still floating. I could feel his heart beating still, which was a miracle. His whole body was filled with magic; I could feel it. I realized what it was. The mermaids must have put some spell on him so that he wouldn't drown underwater. Why were they preventing him from drowning? But if they could cast a spell like that, why didn't they use magic on me? The magic was powerful, and I knew that it was enough magic to have knocked him out. I was so confused by what I had seen earlier. I saw the boy struggling for seconds to get out of the clutches of the mermaid, and then grow limp as he drowned... or at least that's what I had thought. But it didn't matter as long as he was alive. I grabbed my sword, put my arm around the boy's waist and swam up to the surface.

As my face broke the surface of the water, I took in a deep breath, filling up my empty lungs with the cold winter air. I swam to the shore and put the boy on the ice. I heard the pounding of feet as the boy's mother and sister came running. The others ran to him as well.

"Come on then, get her out boys," the mother said to the dark-haired youths I had seen earlier. I was still gasping for breath. Two of them pulled me out of the water. I somehow managed to cling to my sword. I threw it onto the ground to make it easier for them to pull me up. The sword was heavier now on land. I was going to examine it later; for now, I was thoroughly exhausted.

When I was completely out of the water, my whole body tensed up as I tried to keep myself warm. I looked over at the mother who cried as she clutched her son.

"Let him go," I said. She looked at me, confused.

"He won't be able to breathe with you holding him so tight like that," I told her. I didn't know where that knowledge came from, but I knew I was right. Apparently, she knew it too because she gently let go of her son. After a few very long seconds of waiting, the boy coughed out water and opened his eyes. I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding. The mother sighed in relief. Everyone else smiled, but the little girl started crying.

"I thought you died!" she cried and clung to him as she wept. The mother clucked her tongue.

"Come now, child, get off him so we can keep him warm." The girl got up and the mother lifted him and carried him to one of the caravans. She came back to me with a woolen blanket. I smiled at her. I was still shaken by what happened down there. I had become a murderer, even if I only meant to protect myself. I felt horrible and dirty inside. I was sure I'd never done anything like that before, so where did I get the skills? I slowly staggered to my feet, and just as I was reaching down for my sword a small brown bundle hurtled towards me. Gwaine was dancing around my ankles, chattering and pawing at my legs. I smiled and knelt down to pet him, which he submitted to without protest. He even pushed his head into my hand.

"All right then, little guy," I rasped, my throat sore. "We'd better keep moving. I know I have to, I'm so cold." I gingerly stood up, wincing as my sore muscles protested and looked around for my pack. I spotted it at the edge of the woods and stumbled over to it, Gwaine following in my footsteps. I gently put Gwaine in my pack, and then shouldered the pack as I debated which way would be best to go. A little tap on my shoulder brought me back to reality, and I turned around to find the little girl - Isolde was her name I think - standing behind me.

"Why are you going? Aren't you terribly cold?" she asked. I shrugged and smiled.

"I have to go. I have no reason for being here," I told her gently.

"But you must stay, at least until you are warm and properly clothed!" she exclaimed. "We must repay you somehow."

"Really, I don't need anything," I reassured her. Well, nothing that she or her people could provide anyway.

"Please. Let us thank you properly. My brother Alec would have died if not for you. You saved him and made sure my stupid, _stupid_ mistake wasn't fatal." The poor girl gave a little sob. I hesitated. I didn't know where I was going (or for that matter where I was) at all, so perhaps staying with these people would help me get a better picture of what I should do. I highly doubted they intended me harm now that I had saved the boy's life, so what did I stand to lose?

"All right," I said slowly. "I'll... accept your kind offer. But only for a little while; I don't want to impose." Her face lit up.

"Oh, you wouldn't be imposing! Come, come, have some soup. Mother makes the best cabbage stew in the land!" Gwaine poked his head out of the sack, presumably because of the mention of food. She stared at him for a minute, and then said, "Isn't he cute?" She smiled at Gwaine, and I could have sworn Gwaine smiled back, albeit in a martenish way. Isolde shyly took my hand and led me back to where the others were waiting.

The names and faces passed by in a blur. There were so many, and they all looked like they came from different regions of the land. The one thing they had in common was the hard, worn out look about them. These people clearly hadn't had an easy time, and I wondered why. I reminded myself to ask them about it later.

They all made a camp near the river and started a fire. Isolde's mother brought me some soup. I wasn't sure exactly what it was, but it was hot and filling and just what I needed. I shared my bowl with Gwaine, who lapped eagerly. He fascinated Isolde and the other children, and though he pretended not to notice them, I could tell in a way he was pleased by the attention. As the evening wore on, they would run into the woods and come back bearing gifts for Gwaine. Soon there was a small collection of pine needles, pinecones, flowers and other things at my feet, which Gwaine sifted through delicately. Eventually, someone called the children to bed, so they bid us good night and scampered off.

After everyone else had fallen asleep, I sat and thought about what had happened. I looked over at the tent that Alec, Isolde and their mother shared. The boy was lucky. I replayed every scene in my head. I wondered how I was able to survive not being killed by the merfolk, but also how I myself didn't drown. I picked up my sword and ran my hand over it, lost in thought.

It wasn't until much later that I noticed the strange symbols on my sword. I'd never seen any like them - or at least, I don't remember having seen them (which probably isn't saying much). I wondered if these were the reason the merfolk kept away from me. I was especially drawn to the symbol adorning the hilt; it's a simple wheel, but it gives the appearance of glowing faintly. The sound of footsteps awakened me from my thoughts; it was the mother of those two children. She sat next to me and wrapped a woolen blanket around my shoulders. Its warmth immediately engulfed me.

"Thank you, dear, for saving my son." She smiled at me. "None of us would have dared to go in those waters. They get freezing in the winter. My poor Alec should have died, and so should you. Those waters are cursed with the water nymphs, but surely you knew that." I shook my head. Her eye narrowed a bit, and as she looked me over, realization dawned in her eyes. "You must be from Actica. You remind me of the travelers I've seen there, except you are far more quiet and level-headed." I was a little confused; where is Actica? Oh yes; I remembered that name from the dream I had earlier. She saw my confusion, and decided not to delve deeper into that conversation. "So what's your name, my dear?" I looked right into her eyes.

"I don't know."

"Oh? How could that possibly be? All people are born with a name, no? Let me see." She grabbed my face. I wasn't sure what she was about to do, but I let her. She examined my head and felt over my wet hair.

"There don't seem to be any bumps or bruises. So how could someone as noble as you not have a name?" She looked over my sword, and fear - or urgency - swept across her face.

"Where did you get that sword?" she asked, panicked.

"When I woke up about two days ago, it was right beside me. When I awoke, I couldn't remember anything. I didn't know who I was, where I was, that those were called trees..." I was about to mention my dreams, but I decided to keep that to myself.

"Well, then if you don't have a name, I'll have to give you one." She smiled. "Edna?" I shook my head and she laughed. "Carmila? Pippa? Lidya?" After shaking my head to almost ten more names, she smiled brightly. "How about the name Ainia? That was my mother's name, and you remind me of her very much." I liked it, but it wasn't right. I knew that wasn't my name, but I accepted it anyways. Maybe it would grow on me, or perhaps someday I would remember my true name.


	6. Chapter 5: A Plan of Action

**Chapter 5: A Plan of Action**

_**LANCELOT**_

We traveled through so many ransacked villages that had been pillaged and plundered by Cairon's men, or Cairon himself. For the first time, we saw the enormity of the situation. There's no way we could do this by ourselves. Arthur, of course, thought otherwise.

"We defeated an army of walking trees with magic. I'm pretty sure we can defeat men in armor," he said with confidence. The only way we defeated those dryads was because of Merlin, and now that he was gone, we had no chance.

"But there are more of Cairon's men than those dryads, and the elements were on our side before. We can't say the same for when we head into battle with Cairon's army," I said. Arthur glared at me.

"What do you expect us to do then? Just sit around and wait for him to grow tired?" he demanded.

"Maybe we should look for Merlin instead. I'm afraid Morgana or Mordred or whoever may have taken him back to Cairon himself."

"All the more reason to bring the battle to him!" Arthur cried earnestly. "If he does have Merlin, then the idiot doesn't stand a chance. We have to get to him before Cairon murders him or something."

"But Arthur," Gwen said quietly. "We don't know for sure that Cairon has Merlin. We need all the support we can get. We've already lost Hale; I don't want to lost Merlin too." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gwaine flinch when Gwen said Hale's name.

"Besides," Elyan interjected. "How exactly did you plan on 'bringing the battle' to Cairon? Like Gwen said, we're heavily outnumbered and we lost the one person who knows how Cairon thinks. But of course," he added quickly. "It's your choice to make, sire." Arthur was silent, and I could see the defeat in his eyes. He sighed.

"All right then. But how are we to find Merlin? He could be anywhere!" Gwen and I exchanged uneasy glances. We had already thought of this, but Arthur wasn't going to like what we had to say. Gwen cleared her throat.

"Well... Lancelot and I had been thinking... we know that Morgana has many allies who wish to see Camelot brought down. But I bet some of her allies were blackmailed into doing her bidding. And she must be getting advice or some sort of magical aid since she hasn't had her magic for too long... So we thought that maybe if we found one of her allies who isn't as loyal to her..." Gwen's voice grew smaller as Arthur glared at her. He already didn't like where this was going. "We could... get them to talk... and find out where she is or where she usually goes..." Her voice trailed off. Arthur closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"You mean to tell me..." he began. "That you want us to seek out one of Morgana's allies, who most likely can use magic, and uses it malevolently, and just _ask them to tell us where to find Morgana?_" Gwen seemed to shrink back.

"Yes," she whispered. If it had been anyone but Gwen, Arthur most likely would have clobbered them for even thinking of such a thing.

"You do realize I am the crown prince of Camelot, and these are my knights, who fight to defend a kingdom where magic has been banned for twenty years, right? How on earth are we supposed to find this ally, let alone convince them to help us?" He was shouting by now.

"Well at least it's something!" Gwen shouted back, surprising us. "At least we can try!"

"That would be suicide!" Arthur roared.

"So would challenging Cairon when we don't really know anything about him!" There was silence after that. All of us exchanged wide-eyed glances and held our breath. "Please, Arthur. Think about it. Unless you have a better idea, this is our only option." Arthur closed his eyes, and then groaned.

"This had better be worth it. When we find Merlin, so help me I am going to..." He continued to mutter under his breath all the things he was going to do to Merlin. Everyone visibly relaxed now that the tension had passed.

"That went better than I expected," I murmured to Gwen. She smiled at me.

"Yes it did. I didn't expect him to agree so quickly."

"He must care about Merlin a lot if he's willing to do this," I mused. Gwen sighed.

"We all do. It feels... empty without Merlin and his terrible jokes..." She trailed off, her expression distant. I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Everything will be fine, Gwen. Merlin is tougher than everyone gives him credit for, and Arthur will stop at nothing until he's safe back here, being yelled at for not polishing his armor." She giggled.

"I hope you're right, Lancelot." She smiled at me, but then her smile turned into a frown. "How are we going to find this ally? We don't know who Morgana works with." I looked at her thoughtfully.

"We could talk to the Druids. They're peaceful people, and I'm sure they can tell us something. Perhaps, if they don't know anything they can point us in the direction of someone who does. Or they could use magic to find Morgana. Isn't there some spell for that?" Gwen beamed.

"What would we do without you, Lancelot? I don't know how you can stay so calm through everything." She gave me one last sweet smile before running after Arthur to make sure his threats toward Merlin weren't _too_ out of line.


	7. Chapter 6: A Long Sad Story

**Chapter 6: A Long Sad Story**

_**HALE**_

The gypsies traveled along the river most of the time. They said they didn't dare set foot in the forest. I asked why, but all they said was magic. I shivered because I knew I could use magic. In that case, I probably shouldn't tell them what I had to do in order to save Alec. Evidently, these people were scared of magic, so I decided to abstain from using it. They were my only chance of survival.

The gypsies said that the spring was coming soon, and by then we would be far away from Actica. Dimly, I felt a flicker of - was it sadness? Fear? Regret? - but I dismissed it. As far as I knew, I had no connection to Actica. Besides, people seemed to be fleeing it. Speaking of which...

"Why is everyone fleeing Actica?" I asked Isolde's mother, who I had learned was named Vivian. Her expression became sad.

"That, my dear, is a long, sad story..." She saw my curious expression and chuckled. "All right, then. Come up here, and let me tell you the story." I nimbly hopped up to where she sat on the cart, guiding the horses. I was careful to make sure my sword, which I always carried with me, wouldn't harm either of us.

"Long ago, three princes were born to the king and queen of Actica. They were triplets: Marcus, Hadrian, and Cairon." For some reason, a shiver went down my spine when I heard that name.

"Three of them? But isn't there only supposed to be one king?" I asked. Vivian nodded.

"Yes. Traditionally, when a queen has given birth to triplet sons, the eldest becomes the heir to the throne and the other two become barons of the land. That made Marcus the rightful heir to the throne of Actica. Both Marcus and Hadrian were good people. They had inherited all the wisdom and grace of their parents. But Cairon was different. There was a streak of malevolence in that boy that only grew as he matured. He was violent, ill tempered, and cared for no one but himself. One night after his thirteenth birthday, he snuck away from the palace to steal from the poor villagers. Cairon was greedy as well as corrupt. As he was stealing from a very poor family, he was approached by a beautiful woman. They say she had long silver hair that was the color of the moon, and her skin shimmered in the moonlight. She had small, cherry red lips and dark eyelashes that curled delicately. She was tall and perfect in every way. They say that she wore white from head to toe except for a golden bracelet around her ankle. Her clothes were made out of some fabric that was transparent, yet you couldn't see through them." Something about that sounded eerily familiar to me, but I let it pass. "Dazzled by her unearthly beauty, he practically fell over himself when she beckoned to him. She scolded him for his crime, and he confessed all of his other sins to her. She told him that he could erase all his past wrongdoings if he gave back to all those he'd wronged and apologized. To Cairon, this wasn't an option. When the woman asked him why he refused to feel remorse, he told her that they were useless. His father did everything he could to protect them, but they did nothing in return and only brought the kingdom down. Dismayed with his cruelty, she deemed him an unworthy ruler. He could, however, change her opinion if he passed a test." Vivian was about to continue when a shout from Isolde cut her off.

"What did you say, sweetheart?" she shouted. After a moment, Isolde's head popped out from behind the cart.

"Never mind, I found it!" she called. Her mother sighed.

"Children these days..." she grumbled. I waited for her to continue her story, but she continued grumbling.

"You were saying...?" I prompted.

"Oh! Right, sorry. Yes, the test. He had to pass a test. Of course, he didn't know what the test was going to be, but he followed the white lady's instructions. She told him to go into the forest with nothing but a torch and a cloak. She said it was all he would need to pass the test. Now, one of Cairon's redeeming qualities was his patience. He was also incredibly proud and stubborn, so he wandered around the forest for a year before finally getting fed up with it all. He was angry with the white lady for sending him on a pointless quest, and decided to go home. As he turned to go back to Actica, he spotted a fire in the distance. Tired, cold and hungry, he hoped that he would be able to find refuge with whomever the fire belonged to. As it turned out, he stumbled upon a Druid camp. The Druids are peaceful people, and they graciously allowed him to stay with them for the night. But Cairon, coming from a royal family, wasn't accustomed to life outside the castle. He rejected the Druids' best meal, which had been prepared just for him. This offended them, and he was told he had to leave. Naturally, Cairon wasn't happy about this, but he had no choice. Later, as he was meandering through the forest, a group of Camelot knights stopped him. They were going to behead him, thinking he was a Druid, but he managed to make them pause. He bargained the location of the Druid camp for his life and freedom. The knights agreed and sought out the camp. Cairon was curious as to what would happen, so he followed them to the massacre. That's what it was. Like I said, the Druids are peaceful people and as such weren't very knowledgeable about sword fighting. In the midst of the chaos, Cairon noticed a little boy running to his mother, who was hiding behind a tree. Without thinking, Cairon ran over and stabbed the boy. As the fighting died down, the mother stepped out towards Cairon and, in a moment of rage and grief, cursed him. I do not know what the curse was, or what it did to him, but after that incident Cairon found he was able to use magic."

"So, basically the Druid woman gave Cairon magic?" Vivian shrugged.

"It certainly seems that way, but for the life of me I don't understand why someone would do something like that. Why give more power to such a cruel, sadistic man? But anyway, after that whole mess Cairon traveled back to Actica. For whatever reason, his parents accepted him back into the family." I raised my eyebrows.

"Despite all that he had done, they were still willing to live with him?"

"That's family for you, I guess. They asked him what had happened during his year away, but he never told them the truth. From then on, he kept his magic secret, so secret that the knights of Camelot couldn't find him. And then, one day when he was about nineteen, I believe, something happened and his magic destroyed everything. His brother, Marcus, was one of the casualties. Some suspect that the whole setup was a deliberate attempt to take the throne. Panicking, Cairon fled Actica, leaving a clear path of destruction in his wake. He intended to find the Druid who cursed him, but the knights of Camelot soon caught up to him. It wasn't hard to find him considering all the damage he'd left behind. I'm not sure what happened after that, but it ended in Cairon disappearing from the world for a long time... until quite recently. Due to his older brother's death and his younger brother's... absence, Hadrian was crowned king of Actica. He married and had two sons, Rowan and Henry. It wasn't until recently that Hadrian announced there was also a princess."

"Why didn't he announce it before?" I asked.

"I don't know. But the point is, the kingdom had a princess. They held a feast in her honor, inviting many important people. Sadly, the celebrations were cut short by -"

"Cairon," I interjected grimly. Vivian looked at me in surprise.

"Yes. How did you know?" I shrugged.

"It seemed like the most obvious answer," I replied. She sighed and shook her head.

"That poor girl... she was tricked into leaving the kingdom. Apparently she made it to Camelot, but Uther refused to get involved because of the magic. I heard that she and a few of the knights, including Prince Arthur, vanished. I hope for Camelot's sake that they aren't dead..." I stared at her in shock. Prince Arthur? Could he possibly be the blond man from my dreams? Vivian eyed me strangely.

"Are you alright, dear?" she asked. I nodded. Suddenly, I saw something flash in the woods. Vivian looked in the direction I was glaring, then gasped.

"BANDITS!" she shrieked, and then all hell broke loose.

Men in ragged clothing were suddenly pouring out of the forests, yelling at the top of their lungs. They were wielding anything from a sword to an axe, and I even thought I saw one guy with a pan. The rest of the caravan panicked, and some even tried to run away. The horses reared in fright, and Vivian and I were flung out of our seats. I hit the ground and instinctively rolled to lessen the impact. Picking up my sword, I was about to help Vivian when I heard a child's scream from behind me. I whirled around to see a filthy man with a sword dragging Isolde away. Even though his hair was dirty, I could see how red it was.

"Let me go!" Isolde cried, struggling against the man's grasp. He chuckled darkly and grinned. I was disgusted to see a mouthful of rotten green teeth.

"Now, why woul' I do that? You's is gon' make me rich." He ran his sword along the edge of her jaw. "A pre'y youn' thing like you should fetch a nice price at them slave markets." This made me furious; what right did he have to pick on an innocent girl like that? Without thinking, I rushed forward with my sword at the ready. The bandit saw me and jeered.

"Well, this gon' be inerestin'. A lady wit a sword? Ne'er though I'd see th' day," he said.

"Let her go," I snarled. The jerk just leered at me.

"Who's gon' make me, poppet?" he asked with a sickening grin. "You?"

"That's right," I replied. "Just you and me, one on one. Or are you scared you'll be bested by a woman?" I snarled. He growled at that and flung Isolde away.

"No," she whimpered. "He'll kill you!"

"Ah, so she's a smar' one," the bandit said to Isolde. I glared at him. "Now, since you's is easy on th' eyes, I'll make it quick. 'Sides, I wan' be back in time fo' suppa."

"Not happening," I growled, and then I lunged at him. He didn't expect that, and I managed to get in a good cut on his upper arm. "Run!" I told Isolde, and she immediately ran back for her mother. I turned my attention back to the idiot who dared to try to hurt Isolde. It was obvious he was enraged.

"Why you lil -" He was cut off by my sudden jab towards his left side. He struggled to block it.

"Do you always chatter this much during a fight?" I asked as I swung at him again. This just ticked him off even more. With a roar that could have rivaled a lion's, he charged blindly at me. I easily parried, and then the fight became a blur.

I'm not really sure what happened, it was all so fast, but I do remember being astonished by my skills. Something about this felt right, but I couldn't explain it. All I knew was that I was winning. The bandit seemed to know this too. His eyes grew, and he said, "You!" as if he suddenly recognized me. He then suddenly took off without warning. I sprinted right after him. He was heading for the chaos surrounding the caravan, probably hoping to get lost in it. Unfortunately, it worked; I quickly lost sight of him and ended up having to defend myself and some of the other gypsies. Then I heard a cry, and saw the bandit trying to sneak away with Isolde again. I knocked out the bandit I was currently fighting and ran to catch up to them. I raised my sword to strike the blow, but the bandit suddenly yelled in pain. I stopped short in surprise. There seemed to be something wrong with his ankle, and whatever had happened was painful enough that he let go of Isolde. She immediately sprinted towards me, holding something close to her chest. I charged at the bandit and knocked him out, then I turned to see Isolde holding a very smug Gwaine in her arms.

"Gwaine bit him on the ankle!" she exclaimed. "He saved me." I raised an eyebrow at my wee companion, and he just inspected his paw as if to say, _Yes. I am that good._ Laughing slightly, I reached over and petted him.

"Good work, sir Gwaine," I said in my manliest voice. Then I frowned. Why did that sound so familiar? I was brought back to the present by the sound of Isolde crooning praise to my little marten.

"Come on, let's find your mother and brother and get you all to safety," I said, the moment of laughter diminished. She nodded with a straight face and clung to my hand as I fought our way through the bandits. I found Alec, Isolde's brother, and just when I spotted Vivian in all of the chaos, a bandit came and slammed me in the stomach. I retched in pain, and Isolde and Alec panicked. Alec found something on the ground and tried to battle the bandit, who was three times my size and maybe ten times his. I couldn't do anything as the bandit picked Alec up by the scruff of his tunic, and swung Isolde over his shoulder. I tried to get up, but another bandit came from behind me and hit me on the back of my head. I couldn't breathe anymore, and I could barely see. As my eyesight started to blur, I heard yelling, crying, screeching, and wailing, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Soon the red and white snow below me faded.

* * *

><p>My first sense as I came to was the sound of the constant rhythm of wooden wheels on crunchy ice, and the neighing of horses. Then came the whimpering of a child. I could soon feel the shiver of a body close to me. I opened my sore eyes and saw a bunch of cloth in front of me. I could feel the hard wooden floor underneath my aching body, and I could feel a cold breeze on the back of my neck. My nose was cold, so I tried to wipe it with my hands. When I was reaching, I felt something cold around my hands that prevented me from reaching my nose. Then the memory of the bandits came flooding back and I shot up. I started to panic. I looked around to see pairs of sore red eyes looking back at me with pity and sorrow. I saw they too had ropes around their bodies, and chains around their hands and feet. Hysteria came over me as I felt the fetters tightening around my hands. I hated being in compact spaces. I was surprised that I remembered a distant feeling of being closed up, and how much I detested it. I started to breath heavily as I tried with all my strength to break from my bonds.<p>

A strong hand gripped my shoulder, and I turned to see tired, but youthful eyes looking at me. The blue eyes belonged to one of the gypsy men, who I suppose was the "prince" of the gypsies. He was the son of a once great knight, Sir Ector of Camelot. Sir Ector was tricked by sirens into giving up his knighthood. When he did, he was banished from Camelot after insulting the king. It's said that he was to be Arthur Pendragon's godfather, but it fell through. Then Ector wandered through the forests until he stumbled upon a beautiful traveler girl. They fell in love and wedded soon after. Then came Ector's son Kay, prince of the gypsies. In those few nights I was with the gypsies, he was always jovial, and he looked so strong and handsome. Now that he was trapped in a cage, he looked disheveled and old.

"What happened?" I croaked. My eyes widened in surprise. My throat felt horrible, and I tried to swallow to wet it, but even my mouth was dry.

Kay looked at me and frowned. "The bandits destroyed our goods and killed all the men, but spared the women and children."

"Yeah, killed 'em all 'cept you!" one angry woman yelled. "Me husband's dead," she sobbed.

"All of them are dead? What about Vivian, Isolde, and Alec?" I asked.

"They're in the other cage," Kay answered, exasperated.

I looked around at my fellow inmates, and counted about ten of us squashed together. Then a small girl with wiry brown hair squeezed Kay's hand.

"Sing us a song, Kaylahn." Kay sighed, and cleared his throat.

"_Walk onto the path ahead, you'll see yourself the things unsaid. Of past and future though it's dim, the light ahead it seems so grim. But nay nay, we shall say nay, as the evil of night takes over day. Walk into the lion's den. The past it will repeat again. Treading on a road you know. The sweet waters seem to flow. Traveling on the road beyond what you knew is now gone. The hearts you will have to mend, will then bring our story to an end. But nay nay, we shall say nay, as the evil of night takes over day. Nay nay! We shall sing nay, as the rain takes away the pain and dismay._"

His melodious voice died, and the creaking of the wooden wheels replaced the silence. The faces of the woman and children were eerily gloomy. I wanted to distract myself from it all. I turned to Kay.

"That song, where did you learn it?" I asked.

"My mother taught it to me. It was the song of the Druids. They say it's a prophecy for a princess. The Druids thought it was a guide for the princess of Actica, but she's all but lost now. Why?"

"It sounds... all too familiar," I said distantly. Then I shook the dreamy feeling away, and decided to change the subject. "Why did they take us? Wouldn't they just want our supplies?" I had a bad feeling about what they might want with us, but I sincerely hoped I was wrong.

"Yes, and why did they spare my life?" Kay asked. That was the question none of us had an answer to.

"Where is Gwaine?" I asked.

"Gwaine?" he asked, confused. His eyes brightened a little. "You know him?" he asked.

"My marten?"

"Oh," he said, and his face dropped a little. Then the twinkle in Kay's eyes came back slightly.

"Isolde couldn't let go of him. He's with her." He chuckled a little. I tried putting on a wan smile.

"What's going to happen to us?" I asked again.

"Well, we'll see. But we will be traveling in this place for a while. I doubt they will let us out to bathe, or relieve ourselves. They have only given us bread, and no water, so many of us are not going to survive. But we mustn't say anything, you and I have to stay strong for them," Kay said, his eyes burrowing into mine. I nodded knowingly.

"Since we are going to be in here for a while, why not tell me about yourself, mystery girl." He smiled crookedly.

I raised an eyebrow. "There's not much to say," I told him.

"That's not fair, I've told you about my father's life," he said.

"Ah, but that's where you are wrong. That's your father's life, not yours," I teased.

He pursed his lips. "I suppose, but I am still part of the story, are I not?" he asked.

"Okay, fine then." I laughed.

"How about I ask you some questions, and we'll see how much I can get out of you." He smiled.

"Sure, but I'm warning you, you're not going to get much," I informed Kay.

"We'll see about that," he said smugly.

"Well then, fire away," I said impatiently.

"You have been with my people for a few days, and I still haven't learned your name." Darn it all! I was already stumped on the first question.

"I think her name is Ariel," some lady said.

"No, it ain't gonna be Ariel. She looks like a Genovefa," another woman piped up.

"What, are you crackers? What kind of a name is that? She's pretty, so she must be an Aileen, or an Alice." The ladies started to squabble over what my name could possibly be.

"My ladies, maybe we should hear what her name actually is," Kay said, charming the ladies into silence. "So, what is it?" he asked. Twenty pairs of eyes stared at me, waiting to see if their guess was right. I felt like none of those names could ever fit me. I swallowed, and decided to tell them the truth.

"I don't have a name," I said quietly, hoping they wouldn't catch it. They all started to laugh, Kay included.

"You're jokin' right? Why, everyone has a name."

"Well, not I," I said angrily. Everyone stopped and stared at me for a while.

"Oi, the lass is tellin' the truth," The woman who started the fight said in awe.

"Really?" Kay asked, concerned.

"Let's call her Nameless. Idn't that a lovely name?" one of the women cackled.

"Hey, quiet down, Maggie," Kay said. "I'm sorry," he said gently to me. I looked away, my face hot with fury and embarrassment. I suddenly wished I had the strength to break my bonds and run away. Then I realized that I could break my bonds with my sword. It seemed supernaturally strong. I tried to reach down to my sheath around my waist, but my sword wasn't there. I looked around the area I was sitting in, but it was nowhere to be found.

"Who has my sword?" I demanded. Everyone looked around at each other. "Where is it!?" I yelled.

"Them bandits took it," Maggie said.

Fear crawled through the back of my spine to my head, making everything spin. My magical, powerful sword was in the hands of crooks. This could not be good.


	8. Chapter 7: Ealdor

**Chapter 7: Ealdor**

_**GWAINE**_

Walking is such a bore. And so slow too. What I would give for some horses... We'd make much better time. And time is of the essence. Who knows where Merlin is, or if he's even still - no. I won't go there. He has to be alive. Anyone who can survive serving Arthur and still come out relatively sane has a gift for survival. But then again, so did she -

NO. I will not think about that. Damn these Druids! Why must they make everything so difficult? It's bad enough that they're exasperating to deal with. Why do they have to be so hard to find too? We've been walking for days, making camp each night in a different place, and not a sign of them. In fact, if I didn't know better I'd say Arthur was leading us in circles.

I was exhausted, and not just from the constant travel. I hadn't had a decent night's sleep in weeks, and almost every waking moment was spent doing something productive. I needed to keep busy... keeping busy prevents me from thinking too much. I flopped down by the fire, groaning in relief. I wasn't down for long, however. Within five minutes I was up and gathering firewood. As I dumped more wood on the fire, I noticed Lancelot eyeing me suspiciously. Of all my companions, he was the only one who was convinced I had not recovered as much as I pretended to. To ease his suspicions, I gave him a half hearted grin.

"Why is it that we've run into so many magical creatures when we least wanted to, but when we actually go looking for some, they are impossible to find?" I asked, chuckling weakly. Lancelot narrowed his eyes.

"Gwaine, I know you are trying to move on, but pretending your pain doesn't exist is not the answer. You shouldn't work yourself to death either. She never would have wanted you to -"

"Wanted me to what?" I snarled, fighting down the tidal wave of emotions threatening to pull me under. "We'll never know what she wanted, because she's DEAD! DEAD do you hear me?" I was shouting at this point. Lancelot tried to say something but I cut him off.

"And don't you dare tell me to stop trying! I will not fail Merlin the way I failed her! The way we all failed her," My voice cracked on the last word. Lancelot just gazed at me sadly. I realized that it had gone quiet; the rest of the group was staring at me. I cleared my throat.

"We're going to rescue Merlin one way or another. He's not dead. He can't be dead. If you don't believe it's possible, then maybe you shouldn't be here. The last thing we need right now is second thoughts." Too drained to say anything more, I lay on the ground and turned so my back was to Lancelot. I could practically feel the stares of my friends burning holes into my back. No one spoke for a while after that.

* * *

><p>The next morning dawned bright and beautiful - a complete contrast to the somber mood of the camp. Everyone was mostly silent as we packed up what little we had to continue our search. In the midst of the packing, I walked up to Lancelot.<p>

"I'm sorry," I muttered to him. "I'm sorry for what I said last night. I shouldn't have taken my... frustration out on you." Lancelot smiled at me.

"There is nothing to forgive, my friend," he replied quietly. "Everyone loses their head now and again. I must say this is an improvement from when you used to lose it after drinking over a pint of ale. Do you have any idea of how foul your breath smelled?" I smiled slightly at that.

"Still, that does not excuse my behavior last -" I was cut off by a shout from Elyan.

"Smoke! I see smoke!" he cried excitedly. "There's a village down there!" Everyone perked up at once.

"Really?" Arthur asked. "Is it the Druids?"

"No, I don't believe so," Elyan said, and everyone's faces fell. "But, we can stop and ask for supplies, and perhaps get some direction as to where we are. I mean, even if we don't know the land at least we'll know who's around since we seem to be rather..." He trailed off when he saw Arthur's face. Gwen sighed in relief.

"Yes. We should go. We are quite low on supplies," she said, smiling for the first time in days. I could practically feel everyone's spirits lifting.

"Well what are we waiting for?" cried Elyan. "Let's go!" He bounded down the hill. Arthur grumbled something about respecting authority.

"Is he part goat?" I muttered, but no one except Percival heard me. He smirked, and followed the others down the hill. After a moment I followed as well.

* * *

><p>It took us about four hours to reach the village, but once there we realized it was quite small. The people looked haggard, and it was obvious the village had suffered hard times. My heart sank. There was no way we could possibly ask these people for help when they had so little to begin with.<p>

Arthur, being the ever impatient prince, walked up to an older woman and spoke to her quietly. She seemed indifferent to the prince's questioning at first, but then her demeanor suddenly became cold. The old woman answered Arthur's last query curtly then hobbled off. Arthur walked back to us with a strange look on his face.

"I knew there was something familiar about this village," he muttered. "She told me this is the village of Ealdor - the village where Merlin grew up." Eyes widened and inwardly I couldn't help but think some higher being was laughing at our expense. What are the odds that we wind up in Merlin's old village while looking for him?

"Why did she look so upset?" Gwen asked in concern. Arthur ran a hand down his face.

"I asked if she knew where the Druids lived. She said no, but it seems that the people of the village don't accept magic. She spoke of a young boy who used to live here, one that possessed magic but eventually left to find his own path. She didn't seem sad about his departure at all." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Lancelot start, but I pushed the observation to the back of my conscience.

"But did she have anything _useful_ to say?" I asked, frustrated. Gwen shot me a disapproving look but Arthur simply looked defeated.

"As soon as I mentioned the Druids, she closed up. She wouldn't talk to me anymore," he said wearily. I could feel our collective hope draining away. Here at last we find some civilization, but not only are the people afraid to speak of magic they are also so poor they can barely afford to sustain themselves, let alone a rather large group of travelers.

"What about the boy?" Elyan piped up. "Perhaps he could help us. Did she mention where he went?" Arthur shook his head.

"You mus' be talkin' 'bou the Merlin boy," a gravelly voice grumbled. We turned to find a wrinkled old man, hunched over a wooden stick he gripped with trembling hands. For all his frailties though, his scowl was quite impressive.

"Di-did you say Merlin?" Gwen half whispered. We were all thinking, _Is he talking about our Merlin?_ Unlike the rest of us with our slack jaws and wide-eyed amazement, I noticed Lancelot's face had gone from startled to horrified. What was going on here?

"Tha's right. Merlin. A right troublemaker he was," the man grumbled. "Nearly crushed me wit' a tree he cut down wit' that accursed magic o' his." Arthur had become very pale. Slowly, as if trying to convince himself this was all a dream, he approached the old man and asked, "What… what did this Merlin look like?" His voice was hoarse.

"Tall. Skinny. Mop o' flat brown hair. Nothin' special really." The old man paused for a second. "Clumsy too. Constantly spillin' water or trippin' over hay. I's no wonder the boy's poor ma sent him away. I hear he went to the citadel or somethin' like that." There was no doubt about it; that's Merlin.

"Oh no. It can't be…" Arthur whispered. He was white by now, as was Lancelot. I narrowed my eyes at this.

"Excuse us for a moment," I said brusquely before leading Lancelot away from the others. They followed slowly, Gwen practically dragging a shell shocked Arthur. Once we were out of sight of the village I slammed Lancelot against a tree.

"What are you hiding?" I snarled. "Tell us what you know - now!" Gwen gasped in horror and made to shove me off of Lancelot.

"W-what are you talking about?" Lancelot stammered. "I know nothing! I am truly astonished by what the man had to say!" I growled, and roughly shoved Gwen's hands off my arm.

"Like hell you don't know anything! You didn't just look appalled; you were _horrified_ when that man mentioned Merlin. It was as if you knew -" A cold feeling ran down my back, and suddenly something clicked in my mind. I raised my eyes to Lancelot's and from his expression, I knew he could see I'd figured it out.

"That man… he was talking about our Merlin. Merlin had - _has_ magic, and you knew. You _knew_ Merlin had magic, AND YOU NEVER TOLD US?!" By that point I was screaming. I shook Lancelot roughly while Percival and Elyan attempted to pull me away.

"How could you keep that a secret?!" I roared. "How could you keep something that important from us? If Merlin had magic, then we shouldn't have had to worry so much! _She_ wouldn't have gone looking for him! If she knew he could defend himself, _she wouldn't have died trying to save him_!" The familiar wave of pain ripped through me but I ignored it in favor of the fiery rage engulfing my mind. I struggled in vain against the knights and watched as Lancelot's face clouded with guilt.

"Yes, I knew. But I promised I wouldn't tell anyone," Lancelot said softly. He glanced briefly at Arthur, who might as well have been a statue, then looked back at me.

"Think about it, Gwaine. Merlin lives in the citadel of _Camelot_, the heart of the kingdom that banned magic. He is a personal servant of the son of the man who made that law. If word got out that Merlin can use magic, the consequences would be catastrophic for both him and Gaius." Arthur visibly jolted at the mention of Gaius' involvement. "Besides," Lancelot frowned. "Merlin's magic is probably the reason he was captured. I don't know much about magic, but I do know that Merlin is powerful. Very powerful. Morgana probably wants to use him for that very reason."

"You still should have told us, you bastard," I seethed. "I thought we trusted each other!" Arthur hadn't moved. Gwen had covered her mouth with the hand not gripping Arthur's shoulder. Silent tears streamed down her face.

"It wasn't a matter of trust, Gwaine. It was a matter of necessity." Lancelot glanced at Arthur again. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way - I'm sure Merlin would have liked to tell you himself - but you have to accept it. And Gwaine," he looked me directly in the eyes. "The knowledge of Merlin's magic wouldn't have prevented Hale from going after him. In fact, that would only have motivated her more, if she hadn't already figured it out." That stopped me cold. Had she known? The more I thought about it, the more certain I became that she had, in fact, known about Merlin's magic. The two were very close, and we already knew Hale was one of the three sorceress sisters. Why hadn't they told us anything? I was about to retort when Arthur spoke up.

"Merlin… has… magic?" he whispered. "But that's impossible. He's so clumsy, so stupid… he can barely lift my armor, he's so skinny. If he has magic, he could have used it to do his chores, he could have…" Arthur trailed off. The poor guy looked like he'd had the world yanked out from under his feet, which I suppose wasn't too far off the mark. Even though the two were constantly at odds, Merlin and Arthur trusted each other. To find out his servant had been hiding a secret this big for all this time… he must be doubting everything Merlin ever told him. The rest of the group didn't look much better.

"How long?" Arthur suddenly demanded. "How long have you known?" Lancelot sighed.

"Does it matter? The point is, we still need to find the Druids in order to find Morgana. If we can find her, we'll find Merlin as well. Then you can question him all you like, at least when things have calmed down a bit." Arthur looked like he was ready to strangle Lancelot, and I couldn't help blame him. Arthur was about to lunge forward when there was a rustling in the bushes behind us.

"Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther. You seek the one known as Emrys, yes?" A voice rasped. For the second time that day, we whipped around to find a figure standing behind us. They were swathed in a plain grey cloak that was clearly well worn. The hood was up, just barely exposing the thin lips of the speaker. Neither the voice nor the cloak gave any hint as to the gender, let alone the identity of the stranger.

"Who are you? And who is this Emrys person?" Arthur demanded, still shaken from learning Merlin's secret.

"I am a messenger," the figure rasped. "The lady in white sent me to guide you." Lady in white? I wondered. Could that be Ide or Jade? But they had explicitly told us our destinies were no longer intertwined. So who was this mysterious lady? And what did the messenger mean by "guide?"

"Explain!" Arthur hissed. "Who is this lady in white? Why did she send you? What do you want?" It was obvious he was near his breaking point.

"Follow me if you wish to find your beloved Emrys," said the figure. Then they began walking - or was it gliding? - back in the direction from which it came. It didn't slow down or turn back once to see if we were following. Leon and Percival exchanged looks.

"Should we follow them?" Leon asked hesitantly. Arthur snorted.

"And walk right into a trap? I don't think so," he exclaimed. Lancelot frowned.

"I think we should go. They kept referring to someone named Emrys, and I think it has something to do with Merlin. I remember that name popping up around him before," he said quietly. Gwen looked troubled, but bravely said, "Well, if it concerns Merlin, we must go. Perhaps this lady in white only wants to help us. After all, white is not usually associated with dark magic, right?" The rest of the group looked uneasy.

"Let's go," I spoke up suddenly. All eyes turned to me. Everything about this situation screamed trap, but for some reason I didn't sense any ill intent from the stranger. I had a feeling that they were telling the truth. And I think if _she_ had been here, she would have kicked all of us for even hesitating to take this opportunity. "We don't have any other leads, we're low on food, and we've possibly just been handed the answer to our problem on a silver platter."

"That's what I'm worried about," Arthur muttered. "It's too easy."

"But it's still a possible solution. If it does turn out to be a trap - well, we were screwed from the start anyway," I continued. My less-than-motivational speech didn't seem to appease my friends, but I pushed on. "Right now, this is our best hope. And besides," I added quietly. "She would have wanted us to take this chance." Everyone frowned, but slowly heads began to nod and we set off after the rapidly disappearing grey cloak.

_I hope I'm right about this… Hale._

* * *

><p>From afar, Arianrhod watched the group make their way towards the camp. She frowned, noting the look of betrayal etched on the prince's face and the pain that shadowed the visage of the young man with wavy hair.<p>

_That boy could become a problem,_ she mused. _He loves her far too much for their own good. And the prince, he is filled with too much pride and prejudice._ She straightened her shoulders. _But alas, they are essential to my daughter's success. They were so devastated by her death - I wonder how they will fare against the trials to come?_ She tutted and then dissolved into a fine white mist, becoming one with the clouds scattered across the mountainside.


	9. Chapter 8: Robbing the Robbers

**Chapter 8: Robbing the Robbers**

_**HALE**_

I fumed. Damn those bandits. How was I supposed to get my sword back now? Through the bars of the cart, I gave the bandit nearest me the deadliest glare I could muster. Apparently it wasn't deadly at all because the bastard just scoffed.

"What's the matter, honey? You constipated or something?" He began braying like a donkey at his tasteless joke. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. The icy air nipped at my skin and my wrists were raw from being chafed by the bonds, which were the only things keeping me from attacking my captors. I knew I had to break free… but how?

Suddenly, the cart lurched to a stop. I could hear weapons clanking and the bandits shouting at each other. The horses whickered and were freed, then led away and tied to a nearby tree. A few minutes later, a cheery campfire blossomed into life a few yards away from the cart. The flames danced on the icy ground. The bandits seemed to be stopping for the night.

_I have to get out tonight,_ I thought. _Who knows when they'll reach their destination, wherever that is, or what they'd do to us while we're sleeping._ I scanned the belongings carelessly scattered around the campsite. No sign of my sword. I swore under my breath.

"Stupid gypsies," one bandit snorted. "Dey jus' wander ou' in de open like they own da whole damn fores'. Course, dey won' go near it cause it's 'magical' or wha'no'. Seriously, dese o'ergrown weeds, _magic_? Me axe 'as got more magic dan dis 'ere forest!" The bandits laughed and jeered at the poor gypsies' expense, occasionally glancing at the carts, but I was too stunned to fight back.

Magic. That's it. How could I have been so blind? I recalled how I was able to summon my sword in the lake, and nearly tried it. I stopped myself just in time, remembering that the gypsies feared magic and alerting the bandits to my abilities would not be smart. What else then? Maybe if I made a crystal like I did in the lake to pick the lock…

I immediately closed my eyes and concentrated on the memory of that moment. I saw the merpeople… I felt the need for fire… I focused on my desire to create and opened my eyes hopefully. Nothing. There wasn't even so much as a tingle in my fingers. Damn it. Could these fetters be restraining my magic? I groaned and slumped against the bars.

For the next few hours, I wracked my brain trying to think of an escape plan. The fire died down, the bandits either passed out drunk or fell asleep normally, and I still sat and thought. The other cart was absolutely silent, so I assumed everyone had fallen asleep like most of my cart-mates. I was ready to give up when -

_Squeak!_ I shot up at the familiar sound. It couldn't be…

"Gwaine?" I called softly. "Is that you?" A small brown head popped out of the neighboring cart. Gwaine chittered at me softly. I smiled.

"Hey buddy, I need you to come over here for a second. You can go back to Isolde afterwards, I just need you to get me out of these bonds. Okay?" For a tense moment I thought the little marten hadn't understood me, but then he suddenly darted out onto the ground. One of the horses glanced at Gwaine, but chose to ignore him. He bounded up into our cart and snuggled into my lap.

"Good boy, Gwaine!" I crooned. "Now if you want me to thank you properly, you've got to chew through these ropes. See?" I wiggled my bound arms as best as I could. Gwaine scurried around to my back and started gnawing on the rope. I held my breath as the marten worked steadily on my bonds. Thank heavens for my little hero. Finally, I felt the rope give and I excitedly snatched Gwaine up.

"Good boy! Very good boy, Gwaine! What would I do without you?" I spent the next couple of minutes lavishing Gwaine with some much deserved attention. Then I became serious. My hands and feet were still chained; I'd need to find something small and sharp to pick the locks. From my previous searches, I knew there weren't any loose nails in the cart. Perhaps something outside would do - or better yet… I eyed Gwaine sitting peacefully in my lap.

"Gwaine? I'm sorry to ask this of you, but I need another favor," I whispered. His little ears perked up. Scanning the camp illuminated by the dying fire, I spied some keys attached to a particularly burly bandit. I knew instantly they had to be for the prisoners; why else would they need keys?

"See those keys over there?" I whispered, pointing to the sleeping bandit. "I need you to get those for me. But be very quiet, alright?" Gwaine looked at me and I thought I saw a spark of understanding in his beady little orbs. At least, I hope that was understanding and not, _Are you going to feed me now?_ I gently pushed the marten in the direction of the bars. "Go!" I whispered urgently. Gwaine leapt down and started making his way towards the camp. I soon lost his form in the dark night.

A small shadow detached itself from the rest and approached the bandit with the keys. The bandit snorted and rolled over in his sleep. I rolled my eyes at the thick stream of drool running down his chin. Gwaine carefully started tugging - or chewing? - on the belt loop holding the keys. I held my breath as the bandit twitched and grumbled something in his sleep, but sighed in relief once he stopped moving. Gwaine somehow managed to chew through the loop without waking the man and grabbed the keys in his teeth. He started trotting back to me, his entire posture screaming how smug he was about getting this far.

"Yes!" I whispered happily. "Hurry, Gwaine!" The marten sped up, and with an impressive leap landed in my lap with his prize. Unfortunately, his landing caused the keys to clank together. We both froze as one of the bandits stirred. The brute yawned and sat up, looking around blearily.

"Wassa matta?" his neighbor grumbled sleepily. The first bandit replied, "Thought I heard something." He looked around. I quickly lay down with poor Gwaine and the keys squashed underneath me. Luckily it was dark enough that it looked like I was simply sleeping.

"You's nuts," the second bandit muttered. "Git some rest, we move on early." His friend gave in readily enough and slumped back down. Both were out in minutes. I sighed in relief and sat up. A miffed, rather flattened Gwaine glared at me.

"Sorry, buddy," I whispered. "Didn't want them to notice you." As quietly as I could, I grabbed the keys and began unlocking my manacles. With a soft _clink_ I was free. I rubbed feeling back into my swollen wrists and ankles, cursing the bandits under my breath. A sound across from me made my head shoot up. Gwaine squeaked in alarm and darted around to hide behind my back.

"What…?" An awed Kay glanced at my free limbs. "How did you…?" I grinned.

"My little hero got them for me," I gloated, smiling at the marten. Kay's face lit up.

"Can you free the others then? These bonds are quite tiresome." I smiled inwardly. Trust the prince of the gypsies to think about others before himself.

"I can unlock the chains, but I need something sharp for the ropes. Gwaine chewed through mine, but I doubt he can do the same for everyone here. I don't suppose you have a loose nail or anything?" I asked hopefully. Kay frowned and shook his head.

"Can you unlock the chains anyway? I'm sure once our feet and hands are unbound we can maneuver the ropes off our bodies," he said. I thought about it for a moment.

"Then let me free you first. That way you can help me wake the others without causing too much of a disturbance," I told him. He nodded in acceptance. I carefully made my way towards Kay - who was at the other end of the cart, of course - and set to work. Moments later the chains fell off with a slight clatter.

"Thank you," he sighed, and together we managed to get the rope off. Gwaine watched us from his corner.

"Now for the others," I whispered. The two of us went around quietly waking the women up. Since I had the keys, those Kay roused had to wait for me to free them. I glanced at the camp every now and then to make sure the bandits were still asleep. Finally, everyone was free and wide awake.

"What now, Nameless?" a woman - Maggie, I remembered her name was - asked me.

"We get out and free the others in the second cart," I replied grimly. "We need to hurry since we don't know when the bandits will wake up. One of them said they were leaving early, probably around dawn, so we don't have a lot of time."

"But what happens after that?" Maggie demanded. "Assumin' we don' get caught and e'erybody's free, what do we do? Where do we go? We ain't got no supplies or nothin' cause of them bandits. We'd starve or freeze to death in this winter!" She gestured to the icy landscape. I frowned. Damn, I hadn't thought that far ahead. My only concern had been escape and finding my sword. Speaking of which, where was it?

"I suppose," I began slowly. "We're just going to have to rob the bandits." Everyone stared at me like I was crazy. "Look," I said. "Like Maggie said, we don't have any means of survival. But the bandits have generously provided us with supplies and we outnumber them at least two to one. Unless you want to stick with them until they reach their destination, which is probably the slave market, we need to fight back and get out now." I waited for someone to say something. Silence.

"We can't fight," one woman said abruptly. "That was the men's job. But they're all dead, 'cept for him." She jerked a thumb at Kay, who winced. "And though he's a decent enough swordsman, it's still him against all of them."

"I can fight," I declared determinedly. "I don't know how or why, but I'm well versed in swordfighting. Between me and Kay, we can probably take out at least half the bandits. That leaves the rest of you to take care of the other half. You don't even have to fight with a sword - if we can get rid of their weapons before they wake up, or even take those weapons for ourselves, the bandits will be helpless. This can work," I said earnestly. "And besides," I continued. "This is our only chance." Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, but I could see the resignation in their faces. They knew I was right.

"Okay then," Kay said. "Unlock the cart and I'll take the group with me to load up the supplies and confiscate weapons. I'll send two women to get the horses hitched to the carts. You and Gwaine free the others and explain what's going on." I nodded and unlocked the door. Kay and I carefully lowered the door so it didn't bang against the side and jumped to the ground. "Go!" he whispered urgently, helping the women down. Gwaine and I silently ran to the neighboring cart and unlocked the door. I peeked over my shoulder to see Kay and the women stealthily making their way towards the bandits. Leaping into the cart, I roused Vivian and whispered to her what was going on. Eyes wide, she nodded and allowed me to unlock her chains. Once she was free she went around waking her cart-mates and relaying the situation in low, urgent whispers. Gwaine decided to help by chewing through some of the ropes. Together we worked as fast as possible to free everyone. Isolde grinned when she saw Gwaine.

"My knight in shining, er, furry armor!" she whisper-squealed, nuzzling the little marten. He seemed to enjoy the attention, rubbing his head against her chin.

I glanced again at the bandit's camp and noticed that Kay's group had started carefully removing the bandits' belongings. The women with the horses were working on re-hitching them to the carts while trying to keep the horses from making any noise. A couple of the women were making their way towards us with arms full of supplies. My spirits rose a little. Everything seemed to be going smoothly so far.

"Stay here," I told Isolde. "I'm leaving you in charge of the children. Help situate things when the supplies are brought over." Isolde nodded, a determined look on her face. She rallied the few children and told them exactly what needed to be done. I smirked. The girl was a natural leader. As the first few women arrived with supplies, I stopped them and checked for any sign of my sword. No such luck. I sighed and waved them on, heading towards the camp to help out.

* * *

><p>About an hour later, we had most of the supplies stashed in one of the carts. We debated about bringing the second cart, but decided it would be too much of a hassle. We would be taking the second horse though since we couldn't let the bandits catch up. I looked at the sky and realized it was beginning to lighten. Dawn was approaching.<p>

"Already?" I muttered. We needed to get moving now. I started directing people towards the cart, telling them to go.

"You need to go through the forest. It's safer than taking the road." After much heated argument, the gypsies relented. A few of us stayed behind to gather the rest of the weapons as the cart lurched off in the direction of the forest. I was troubled; the cart was slow, and we needed to put as much distance between us and the bandits as possible if we wanted to avoid a fight. On top of that, I still had no idea where my sword was. I cursed and followed Kay and the others to grab the weapons.

As I went to grab a pack next to the bandit that had the keys, I accidentally brushed his side. I froze in fear. As the bandit started stirring, I thought, _To hell with it_, grabbed the pack and started running.

"Oi! What do you think yer doin'?" the bandit roared. His cry woke the other bandits, who immediately sprang to their feet.

"Run!" I shouted to the women, who were paralyzed with fright. "Run, damn it! RUN!" They immediately started running, one brave woman clobbering the bandit nearest her over the head with a satchel. Kay grabbed a sword and started fighting. One woman had been knocked down by a bandit and was cowering on the ground. The bandit raised a threatening fist, clearly intending to beat the poor woman to death. I saw red and charged him. I tackled the jerk and sent us both flying, along with the pack I was carrying. The contents of the pack spilled out and I caught a glimpse of gold. My sword! I snatched it up just in time to block an attack from the bandit. He growled and tried to swipe at me again. I slashed at the air in front of me and was rewarded with a yell when my sword sliced through the skin of the bandit's arms. The idiot tried to take me on with his bare hands. While he was distracted, I jumped up and kicked him in the chest. He flew backwards a few feet and then lay still.

"Go," I ordered, helping the shaking woman to her feet. She turned and ran in the direction of the cart. I turned back to the bandits and swung my sword threateningly. They jeered at me, and I swear I heard a couple comments about how beating a woman in battle would be child's play. I smirked dangerously and beckoned them forward.

"You aren't getting anywhere near those gypsies, bastards. You've taken too much from them, and they deserve better. Come and get me… if you can."


	10. Chapter 9: The Druids

**Chapter 9: The Druids**

_**LANCELOT**_

We followed the mysterious messenger for hours. Our feet were aching and the lack of food was definitely getting to us, but that wasn't what bothered me. I could feel the stares of my friends boring into my back. I knew that things would never be the same between us, not after I'd helped to hide Merlin's secret.

_Merlin,_ I thought. _Wherever you are, I hope that you'll be able to handle Arthur's wrath if we return._ I shook my head. When _we return,_ I amended. We could not afford to fail. Gwaine followed our mysterious friend closely. Arthur was only a few strides behind him while Guinevere and I walked side by side. Although her hands were clenched, and her nostrils flared a little when she looked my way, she was the only one who could stand to be around me for the time being.

After minutes of silence punctuated by the cawing of predatory birds and mulch crunching under our feet, Gwen drew in closer to me. As quietly as she could, she whispered, "Why did you do it?" I looked down at her as we walked slowly, intentionally falling even further behind Gwaine and Arthur.

"Why did I not betray Merlin to the people who would most likely tie him up and set him alight?"

Gwen's jaw muscles flexed, and her eyes became intense. "How dare you? Do you think so little of us? We would have done no such thing!"

"And Arthur? He is the prince of Camelot. He of all people must abide by the kingdom's laws. Do you think he could choose between his best friend and his duty? I did not wish to put Arthur in that position, nor did I want to betray Merlin's confidence." I stated firmly. Gwen pursed her lips and turned away from me.

Our guide suddenly stopped. "We are here," they announced. We looked around the copse of trees and saw nothing unusual.

"Where, exactly, is here?" Arthur snarled. "There's no one around! I knew we shouldn't have trusted you!" He made to turn and storm off in the direction we came from.

"Patience is a virtue of kings and queens, Arthur Pendragon," our guide rasped without turning around. Arthur fumed but remained where he was. Seconds ticked by and then there was a rustling in the bushes.

"Who's there?" a voice called. "What do you want with us?" A peppered hair man, clad in a dull green cloak emerged from the foliage. He carried a long white staff in his right hand. Our guide stepped forward and showed the man something. I could not see what is was, but the man immediately paled and bowed to our mysterious friend, who turned back to face us.

"I have done my duty," they said. "I will take my leave now." Then our guide faded into a swirl of nothingness. Gwaine gave a startled shout while Arthur, Leon, Percival and Elyan leapt back in shock. Gwen jumped as well, but I stayed rooted to the spot. I believed something like this might happen; everything about the figure in grey screamed magic. Still, it was disconcerting to watch someone vanish into thin air.

The only one who didn't seem surprised in the least was the stranger in the green cloak. He stepped forward and said, "Follow me." He turned around and was about to head back into the forest when Gwaine stopped him.

"Why should we trust you?"

The man turned back, bewildered.

"Are you not here at the behest of the White Lady?" he asked. We exchanged glances.

"White Lady?" I asked tentatively. "Who is she? Our guide from a moment ago," I glanced at the spot where they vanished. "Mentioned the lady in white as well, but we have never heard of her, much less met her." The man frowned.

"A very powerful being," he replied vaguely. "Now follow me. You are searching for the one known as Emrys, yes?"

Arthur nodded. The green clad man eyed Arthur quickly with a sad look in his eyes that was not hard to miss. Arthur's own eyes widened briefly, then he straightened his shoulders and started forward with a huff. The rest of us followed suit and began another long trek through the forest.

* * *

><p>By the time night fell, we had arrived at a large camp.<p>

"You shall stay with us for the time being," the man in green told us in a low voice. My spirits rose as I realized that this wasn't any ordinary camp; it was a camp of Druids. Perhaps they could help us. I saw my companions' faces light up as well.

Then I really examined our gracious hosts, and my heart sank. There weren't many adults, and even fewer children. The only little boy and girl - both terribly gaunt - stared at us out of large, tired eyes. I assumed they were siblings as they had the same mousy brown hair and thin lips.

"They are here on behalf of the White Lady," our guide suddenly announced. Whispers immediately erupted around the campsite, and the two children ran to hide behind their mother's skirt. Slowly, the chatter died down and everyone turned to stare at us. There were so many emotions written on their faces - wariness, fear, awe, curiosity, and maybe even respect. The flames dancing across their features made it all the more eerie. I glanced at my companions uneasily. Who was this White Lady that the mere mention of her caused such an uproar?

"Please sit," a voice whispered. We turned to see a kindly woman ladling soup into wooden bowls. Her robe - once a rich shade of violet - was faded and worn with long use. I couldn't see her face as her auburn locks shaded her eyes, but she seemed fairly young. "If you are truly here because of the White Lady, you must have traveled far. She does not give easy tasks."

"But… why would you do that?" Arthur's voice broke the silence. "You don't know us - for all you know, we could be here to rob you!" The woman didn't look up from her task.

"You are not here to rob us. You don't mean us any harm," she said. She sounded so confident that Arthur nearly had a stroke.

"What do you mean? How do you know that? Do you know who we are? Who _I_ am?" Arthur exclaimed.

"They are knights of Camelot," the woman motioned to us, then glanced at Gwen. "And she is the future queen. You are Arthur Pendragon," she said calmly. "Son of Uther Pendragon and Emrys' mission." A few people gasped and one young man practically fell over in shock. Arthur paled.

"How do you know this?" he said hoarsely. "And what do you mean by Emrys' mission? Does is have something to do with Merlin?" For the first time, the woman raised her head and we could clearly see her bright blue eyes. They were unusually pale. I looked closer, then realized with a jolt that the woman was blind.

"Emrys' duty was to protect you, he who would save Albion in its time of need," the blind woman said. The young man who had fallen over earlier was now sitting up and glaring at us. He fiddled with something in his hand. It made me a bit uneasy.

Arthur blinked. "Wait, Merlin's job was to protect _me? Merlin?_"

"Emrys is powerful. It is said that he is the greatest sorcerer to ever walk this earth." A stunned silence followed this statement. Merlin must possess great restraint and humility if he was hiding a power this great for so long. However, the moment didn't last long.

"You're pretty," a small voice piped up. We all looked around to see the little girl tugging at Gwen's dress. "Are you really gonna be the next queen?"

"I… well, I don't…" Gwen spluttered. She glanced at Arthur and their eyes met. Both quickly looked away, red-faced. She was saved from answering by the little boy.

"She don't look like a queen. Look at her clothes! Aren't queens s'pposed to dress all fancy and stuff?" he asked, peering at Gwen closely. The little girl rolled her eyes.

"That's 'cause she's on a mission, silly. She can't go around looking like a queen in a forest! Bandits would jump her right away! And besides, a heavy, fancy dress is no good for running around in," she declared smugly. The boy fumed.

"So? Queens ain't supposed to do anything anyway! They're just s'pposed to sit back and let the men do the work. Women don't know how to use a sword." I had to bite my lip to keep from chuckling, and I noticed a few others doing the same. Oh, if only the little boy had had a chance to meet Hale. The thought saddened me, but I wasn't able to dwell on it for very long.

"Not true! I bet there's plenty of queens and ladies that can fight! I know I can beat you in a wrestling contest," here she grinned smugly at the boy, who turned bright red. "And look at her hands!" The girl grabbed Gwen's hands and shoved them in the boy's face. "They're all callused and stuff. This queen ain't a lazy noble lady like all the rest. She knows how to work." The girl glared triumphantly at the boy, unaware that she hadn't let go of Gwen's hands.

"That don't mean she can save us!" the boy snapped. "That stupid Cairon is still tearing everything up! Look at what he did to the village of Howden! Everyone was turned to skeletons in minutes! What can one 'queen' and her escorts," he glared at the rest of us, "do against someone like that? They don't have magic! Heck, that one," he pointed angrily at Arthur. "Despises magic. Why are they even here anyway? They can't do anything!" The little boy huffed, and it broke my heart to see someone so young filled with so much fear and despair. The little girl was trembling, and looked like she was on the verge of tears. She turned and buried her face in Gwen's dress. Gwen leaned down and embraced the girl, then looked up at the little boy.

"You're right," she said quietly. "We can't do anything against Cairon as we are now. However, we came here to seek aid. We need to find someone who can help us in the battle against Cairon. That person is Emrys, a powerful sorcerer," she stumbled on the last word and Arthur winced. "And a very dear friend of ours. Once we find him, and we will find him, we will go to battle. Arthur is a good man, and is devoted to his kingdom. The knights of Camelot are just as devoted. We will look for allies, and even if Camelot stands alone in this battle, we will win."

"But how do you know?" the boy cried. "So many others have tried to bring Cairon down, and now they're all dead!" Gwen reached out a hand and placed it on the boy's shoulder.

"We will win because good always triumphs over evil," she said calmly. "It won't be easy, and there will be many casualties, but I truly believe that we can win. Albion was not meant to fall to the likes of Cairon." The boy's eyes were wide, and he looked at Gwen with a mixture of skepticism, awe, and maybe even a little hope. Arthur looked at Gwen in much the same fashion, although there was definitely pride in his gaze.

"Spoken like a true queen," the girl mumbled into Gwen's skirt. Her head suddenly popped up. "See? She's definitely queen material! She's nice, pretty, and strong! I believe in them! They're definitely gonna win!" the girl proclaimed. Gwen smiled and hugged her tighter.

"Thank you for having faith in us," Gwen told the girl quietly. "It means a lot to me. To us." They smiled at each other.

"Well, ain't that sweet. I think I'm gonna get a cavity," a voice sneered. For the umpteenth time that day, we whirled around to find the camp surrounded. About two dozen men, all dressed in dark clothes and wielding shimmering swords, leered at us from the trees. The man who had spoken, apparently the leader, stepped forward.

"It's an honor to finally meet'cha, Arthur Pendragon." He grinned. "Lord Cairon's had his eye on you for quite some time now. I was told you hated magic though. Imagine his surprise when we tell him we found and killed you in a camp of Druids."

Immediately, we all drew our swords. How had Cairon's men managed to find us? Gwen grabbed the little boy and girl and shoved them behind her. She grabbed a sturdy branch lying on the ground nearby and waved it threateningly.

"Go to your parents, and stay back. All right?" she told the children. They nodded fearfully and rushed to their mother's waiting arms. The leader tutted.

"A charming gesture, but useless. You're all gonna die tonight anyway. Can't have potential threats wandering around, no matter how insignificant they are. You," he turned to the angry young man from before, who jumped. "Get yer ass outta here. Guess you weren't as useless as you look." Nodding and trembling, the young man leapt to his feet. That's when all the pieces fell into place.

"You betrayed us?" one of the women asked, horrified. "You sided with _Cairon?_"

"You're all insane if you think he can be stopped," he snapped. "If you want to survive, you have to be on the side that wins. Since they," he pointed at us. "are apparently the best hope for defeating Cairon, I think it's pretty clear who will be triumphant." The woman growled.

"TRAITOR!" she screamed. "How dare you side with the one who has killed so many innocents? Who betrayed the Druids that only wanted to help him?"

"It was the Druids who gave him power in the first place!" he roared back. He was about to continue when the leader yanked him back.

"I said get yer ass outta here," he snarled in the young man's ear threateningly. "I give orders, you follow them no questions asked. I'dve killed you for your back-talk but you actually gave us some good information. I ain't gonna be so nice next time. Got that?" The young man nodded, and scampered off into the forest as soon as the leader let him go. The leader watched him then turned back to us with a bloodthirsty grin on his face.

"So. Who's gonna die first?"


	11. Chapter 10: Warrior Princess

**Chapter 10: Warrior Princess**

_**HALE**_

I grunted as my sword clashed with the bandit's. His size was definitely an advantage for him, but I was much faster. We both leapt away at the same time, panting.

"You ain't half bad, girl," the bandit said. "But you still ain't good enough to beat me!" With a roar he charged forward. I rolled my eyes, and at the last second dove to the right and slashed his legs. He bellowed in pain and tumbled to the ground. As he was attempting to get up, I punched him in the stomach. I wasn't ready to kill yet. He passed out instantly, but there was no time to celebrate. I whirled around just in time to block an attack from another bandit. Jeez, how many were there? I lost count of how many Kay and I had already taken out, but it was definitely taking its toll on me. I could feel my movements becoming more sluggish and sloppy. I needed to finish this, and fast. Luckily, the bandits weren't exactly skilled and often their mismatched weapons failed them in the end.

With a yell I managed to push the bandit off me, and before he could react I kicked him between the legs, _hard_. He went down immediately. His companion came at me with a sword and I somehow managed to parry the attack. The bandit, a nasty looking fellow with an eye patch, growled and slashed at me again. I blocked the blow, then struck back. He grunted as our swords collided. Hmm, it appeared this one actually had some skill.

"So, you obviously have experience with a sword, unlike most of your companions. Where did you learn?" I asked, dodging a blow. The bandit sneered at me.

"Don' matter, do it? 'Sides, where'd a crazy woman like you learn to fight like a man?" He brought his sword around in an arc, and would have sliced off my leg had I not caught the edge of his sword on the hilt of mine. The bandit gaped, obviously not expecting me to be skilled enough to stop his attack. His hands slackened on the sword in surprise. I grinned.

"I learned from the best, and I'm not fighting like a man, I'm fighting like a woman! Which is more than I can say for you." With a quick twist of the wrist, I managed to disarm him. While he was distracted, I landed an uppercut on his jaw. He flew back a couple feet and was still. Satisfied, I straightened up with a groan and rubbed my sore shoulders. I started to walk forwards when I tripped over something on the ground. I cursed, then realized I had tripped over a scabbard. My eyes lit up as I grabbed the scabbard and buckled it around my waist.

As I was fiddling with the straps, a pained cry rent the air. I looked back to see Kay with a long slash across his chest. My heart nearly stopped. The wound didn't look deep, but it was bleeding profusely. Kay was panting hard, but somehow managed to stay on his feet. The bandit he was fighting laughed.

"Not so tough now, eh?" he grinned, swinging his bloody sword around. "What'cha gonna do, gypsy prince?" In a movement so fast I couldn't believe he was injured, Kay slashed the bandit across the shins. As the bandit's legs collapsed beneath him, Kay neatly stabbed him through the heart. I gasped, in slight shock. The bandit fell over dead instantly. I was about to start cheering when Kay wobbled and fell over. The three bandits that were left started laughing.

"You're all alone now, girly. Why don't you just give up?" One of them walked over to Kay's prone body and raised his club. As he brought the weapon down, I hurled myself at him and knocked us both over.

"You little -" he started, but he didn't get the chance to finish as I hit him over the head with the butt of my sword. I jumped up and glared at the last two bandits, who cowered away from me and started running. Sheathing my sword, I grabbed the fallen bandit's club and ran after them. They were fast, but I was faster. As they approached the tree line, I swung the club and hit them both on the head, just enough to knock them out. Panting hard, I dropped the club and jogged back to where Kay was lying barely conscious.

"You… owe me… big time," I gasped, hauling him up and looping an arm around my shoulders. Man, he was heavier than I expected.

"All right… you've gotta… stay conscious… long enough to… walk until… we find… the others," I forced out between pants. He grunted in acknowledgment, leaning heavily on me for support. Then we started off to find everyone else.

* * *

><p>It didn't take us long to catch up to the rest of the gypsies. It turns out that they decided to wait for us. I was touched that they didn't want to abandon us, but angry that they'd stayed. What if we hadn't defeated the bandits?<p>

"Thank goodness you two made it back!" Vivian exclaimed. The relief on her face quickly changed to horror when she saw Kay's wounds.

"Quickly! Lay him down there. Alec, fetch some bandages and rags at once. Isolde, run and get some water. There are bowls in the cart," she commanded.

The two children immediately ran off to do as they were told. I staggered over to where Vivian gestured and tried to lay Kay down as gently as possible. I stood up and my vision wavered as the events of the day finally came crashing down on me in a wave of exhaustion. Dimly, I heard the cries of the gypsies as I blacked out.

* * *

><p>Something furry was tickling my cheek. I wrinkled my nose and swatted the furriness away. It squeaked indignantly before I felt a sharp sting on my ear. I yelped and sat up, sending poor Gwaine flying. Rubbing my ear, I brought my hand to my face to see blood on my fingertips.<p>

"You bit me!" I exclaimed, pointing at the annoyed marten. "I can't believe you actually bit me!" He chittered angrily, probably upset that I'd accidentally thrown him off. I sighed.

"Okay, I'm sorry for launching you. But you bit me, so really it's your fault."

Gwaine chittered louder. I threw my hands in the air. "All right! Let's just call it even then!" Giggles erupted from my right, and I turned to see Isolde and Alec covering their mouths with their hands. That's when I realized how ridiculous I must have seemed and blushed. Who argues with a marten anyway?

"Oh good, you're awake. You've been asleep for a couple hours. How are you feeling?" Vivian knelt beside me and put a damp cloth to my forehead. I sighed happily.

"I'm feeling much better now. I think I was just exhausted from everything that happened. I'll be okay," I said with a smile.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," a hoarse voice interjected. Kay was attempting to sit up, grimacing as the action tugged at his wounds. However, he still found the strength to smile smugly at me. "She must have hit her head awfully hard if she was arguing with a marten." I glowered at him.

"Says the idjit that nearly got himself sliced in half!" I shot back. He made a face.

He raised an eyebrow and looked at me smugly, "Speaking of which, how is it that I, the experienced warrior, came out of the battle with one hell of a scar, and you, the amnesiac nomad, came out almost entirely unscathed?" Kay asked. Now it was my turn to grin smugly.

"I'm just that good," I replied triumphantly, while wincing at the same time. Alec and Isolde were laughing the entire time we were bickering. Gwaine had climbed into Isolde's lap and I could have sworn there was an amused glint in his beady little eyes.

"Whatever you say," Kay replied with a dramatic sigh. Then his demeanor became serious. He looked away from me as he spoke, "Thank you. If it weren't for you, we would never have survived. We would probably be at the slave market by now." He looked at me gratefully. " If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask. We are forever in your debt," he said, looking directly into my eyes. I was stunned to say the least.

"Woah, woah, woah, back up a little. I was trapped too; and I never could have defeated all those bandits by myself, or freed everyone from the carts. That was all Gwaine anyway. You were quite brave as well. Give me no credit for this, you saved your own people. I merely helped," I exclaimed, waving my hands in front of me. I really didn't do anything. In fact, I wondered how I actually saved everyone. How did I have this strength and swiftness, where did that come from? I knew the answer would come in figuring out my past, and I knew that I would need the help of these gentle gypsies to figure this out.

Kay laughed in disbelief and his eyes gazed at my face with confusion, not believing that any credit could go to him and his people. After a moment, he sat up a little straighter than before, clearly proud of himself. When he realized that he was basking in his glory, he cleared his throat and looked down.

"Still, we are grateful. Bandit raids have become much more common lately, what with Cairon attacking everyone. All the strong warriors who would normally be protecting their homes are either off fighting or were killed by Cairon's men. Some even joined Cairon, whether out of fear or greed I don't know. They've left their people vulnerable, and the bandits take full advantage of that. And with Prince Arthur missing, I hear that Uther has been ordering all knights to protect the citadel. They're in complete disarray without him." I frowned. How could one person turn the entire land upside down like this?

"Who is fighting Cairon?" I asked. Kay shrugged.

"I don't think there is any organized group battling Cairon. It seems to me that it's more like pocket resistances."

My frown deepened.

"Well, that won't work. They'd need a huge army to take down a sorcerer as powerful as Cairon!" Briefly, an image of a deathly pale man blasting open a pair of double doors crossed my mind. I blinked, then shook my head. That was strange.

"By the way," I said slowly. "What happened to the king of Actica? Shouldn't he be trying to help his people rather than letting them flee?" Kay looked at me in shock, but Vivian simply looked sad.

"I never finished telling you Cairon's story, did I?" she asked. I thought about it, then realized that the bandits had attacked before she could finish. She sighed and said, "In the middle of the festivities I told you about, Cairon and some of his men attacked the castle. Almost everyone at the celebration was killed, including the king and his two sons. The princess, however, went missing. I heard she ended up in Camelot, but then disappeared along with Prince Arthur and some of the knights…"

The rest of her words were drowned out in a white hot burst of pain. I clutched my head as images and sounds flooded my mind with the force of the spring storms. A white and scarlet dress. Butterflies. A sneering king. A sparkling crown. Screams, so many _screams_. Two young princes, both face down in a pool of their own blood. A dying man garbed in the robes of a king. And finally, a man that looked like Death himself standing victoriously in the midst of a bloody hall.

I couldn't stop panting, and soon all the air in my lungs dissipated and I retched. In a rush air filled my lungs, but was soon gone as I screamed, nearly tearing my hair out in my futile attempt to stop the pain the flow of images was causing me. I vaguely saw Kay and Vivian attempting to calm me down while Alec, Isolde, and Gwaine looked on in fright. I thrashed around, whimpering.

After what seemed like ages, the memories - if that's what they were - stopped assaulting me. I lay limp, gasping for breath and sweating profusely. The worried faces of my friends peered down at me. To my utter dismay, I started to sob, and all I could think was, _I do not cry!_

"Ainia? Are you alright?" Vivian asked. Ainia? Oh right, that's what Vivian named me. Slowly, I nodded.

"What happened? You just started screaming to 'make it stop' all of a sudden," Kay said, worry written all over his face. I shuddered.

"I-I'm not sure. I just had these visions, these horrible visions of a battle. A massacre. Everyone was dead. The guests, the princes, the king, all of them!" The more I talked, the wider Vivian and Kay's eyes became. Vivian suddenly turned to Alec and Isolde.

"Children, go back to the others. And not a word of this to anyone, do you understand?" The two nodded and raced off with Gwaine. Meanwhile, Kay was patting my back as I tried to get myself under control. Vivian settled in front of me and put her warm, rugged hands on my face. She looked at Kay with worry.

"Well, she doesn't have a fever."

"What? What are you talking about?" I slurred my words, as I started to feel a throbbing in my head.

Kay shuffled to my other side. His angelic face started to become blurry. _Angelic face? Oh what is wrong with me?_ I asked myself, suddenly realizing that my thoughts no longer made any sense.

"What is happening to her?" Kay asked.

Vivian shook her head. "I don't know child. There are many things at work here. Touch her skin." She took Kay's hand and rested it on my chest. I could feel the sweat running down my body as his soft fingers contacted my skin. I looked away, slightly ashamed that I was letting a man touch me. Kay's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, and he looked at Vivian startled.

"She's sweating profusely, but there's no fever."

"Exactly! But press down on her skin a little more."

Kay obeyed Vivian, and pressed his hand down. His hands were strong, and I started to panic. What were they doing to me? I tried to get up, but I was weak and Vivian pushed me down against the floor effortlessly.

"Do not move! Just close your eyes. You needn't worry."

What choice did I have? Kay and Vivian would be too strong for me now as I felt the energy in my body slowly leave me. But I didn't close my eyes.

For a couple minutes, Kay pushed his hand down on my body. Once in a while his fingers would trace small circles sending my heart into wild flutters. When I looked at him to see why he was doing such things, I could see in his eyes that he was far away.

Suddenly he gasped and pulled his hand away. He looked at Vivian with wide eyes. She heaved a deep sigh.

"What…. was that?!" Kay exclaimed, as he panted.

"It's as I suspected. I thought perhaps maybe the bandits had poisoned you, and that you were merely hallucinating."

_I'm so tired,_ is all I could think. I just need to rest my eyes…

"It's magic isn't it?"

What was going on? I couldn't hear anything, I could only see the fear in their faces. Vivian shot up and started to speak to Kay frantically. As he looked up, fury started to distort his face, and he argued with her. She pointed to where the others were waiting and he pointed at me.

Then came the waves of darkness. I was in and out of slumber and consciousness. Perhaps I did this for hours, and each time I came to Vivian and Kay were still fighting.

What was happening? Did they find out that I possessed magic? Oh no. Surely they would kill me now. Then I blacked out again, this time for longer.

* * *

><p>Soon the sound of chirping winter birds and the lapse of water onto shore filled my ears. My head moved up and down slightly, and before I could even open my eyes I thought, <em>I am going to slip back to nothing again.<em> But I didn't.

I woke up to the sound of a heartbeat. I was laying on something soft, which I wasn't expecting. I looked to my left to see what I was resting my head on, and was shocked to find Kay there fast asleep. I quickly shot up and jumped away from him. I put my hand on my head and groaned. I could hear the crackling of a fire, so I guessed that it was evening. How long was I out for?

I looked at Kay. He was shirtless, but otherwise fully clothed, and I could see the bandages around his torso. He was sleeping with his hands behind his head, and some drool slipped out of his mouth. Oh, what a wonderful sight that was! Still, I was utterly outraged. He slept beside me while I was unconscious. Some women would think that sweet, but not me.

I scooted closer to him. "When you wake up, I am going to kill you."

One of his eyes opened and stared right at me, and I glared back. He blinked and slowly awoke. Just as he was fully alert, I slapped him.

He grunted. "Damn it! What was that for?" I just looked at him, as if that was explanation enough. He smirked and chuckled.

"Why are you being so arrogant?"

"You think _I'm_ being arrogant?" He shook his head and moved closer to me. I stared at him seriously, he'd better not try anything on me.

He sighed heavily, and relaxed a bit. "You've been unconscious for days. Your breathing was irregular. Vivian got worried and she left to find you a cure. I thought that it was my duty to make sure you were okay."

_For days?_ Those weird images left me comatose for _days_? I should have said thank you, but somehow I couldn't get the words out.

"Huh, well aren't you charming," was all that I could muster. I didn't feel exhausted anymore, but my mind felt fuzzy.

Kay just looked away for a moment. And then I remembered the bits and pieces before I blacked out.

"What were you and Vivian arguing about?" I asked. Just as I said that, Vivian swept into view. I didn't even get time to ask her where she had gone or what she did because she was already questioning me.

"Ainia? I know this was traumatic for you, but could you tell us what you saw?"

"What I saw?" I repeated. "Why?" I really didn't want to remember.

"It could help us figure out who you are. And before you say anything," she added, noticing I was about to protest. "That was not nothing. No one has visions that vivid unless they are gifted with the power of foresight or are reliving memories. Not to mention they caused you to sleep for days! I have never seen anything like that." I grimaced, but retold everything I'd seen. Vivian looked very grim by the time I'd finished.

"It must be magic!" she exclaimed.

"That's what I said at first, but you are just an ignorant old woman who has ears for only her own voice. " Kay responded harshly to Vivian. She gave him a deadly look, but he didn't seemed frightened by her. She ignored him and concentrated on me.

"I think someone may have cast a spell on you. Maybe to forget who you really are?"

Before I could say anything, Kay interjected, "And I wonder how you came up with that? Have you been meditating on a mountain for these past few days? I could have told you that!"

"Hush boy!" She returned her gaze to me.

"Why do you think that is?" She knelt down and came closer to me, "Why would they want you to forget who you are?"

There was a wondrous sparkle in her eyes. I didn't respond, mostly because I knew she was just talking to herself.

She continued, "I know you may find this hard to believe Ainia, but is it possible that you could be the lost princess of Actica?"

The empty silence that hung in the air was eerie. Me? A princess? I was tempted to dismiss the idea immediately, but something about that statement felt familiar. If I truly was the princess, then the scene I just experienced would make complete sense. The image of the two dead brothers and king had hit me especially hard. Coupled with Vivian's story, her theory seemed more probable than I wanted to admit. But then what had I been doing to lose my memory? I was so frustrated. It seemed like maybe I'd finally started remembering who I was, but this little episode only brought up more confusion and questions. Sensing my distress, Kay spoke up.

"Why don't we call it a night? Perhaps things will be clearer after we've all rested. These last few days have been overwhelming. I wanted to argue that I'd already been out for a while, but chose to keep quiet. I laid back down and tried to make myself comfortable on the cold hard ground. I turned on my side so that I was facing the blank canvas of the tent. Vivian left, but Kay stayed behind. I could feel his calm eyes on my back. Suddenly, I broke out into horrible shivers, which unfortunately did not go unnoticed by Kay. He slowly crawled over to me and put his hand on my arm to turn me over.

"Are you cold? If you need me to keep you warm I will."

Little Gwaine came running in from outside and nestled under my chin. I looked at Kay and shook my head, then closed my eyes in an attempt to forget everything for a while. But no matter how hard I tried, the image of that man laughing at the carnage around him continued to haunt me.


	12. Chapter 11: Diversion

**Chapter 11: Diversion**

_**GWAINE**_

We were outnumbered four to one, but hopefully not outmatched. There were seven of us, and six of us were well versed in sword fighting. While Gwen was no master swordswoman, she could hold her own, and she was resourceful. Silently, I prayed that Cairon was foolish enough to send goons on this errand. I wasn't sure if we could defeat all of them while trying to protect the Druids at the same time. The way the swords shimmered worried me especially.

"I said, who's gonna die first?" the redheaded leader snarled. Arthur bravely stepped forward.

"You," the prince growled before launching himself at the man. Their swords clashed with a loud clang. This seemed to be the cue for the others, who roared and charged us all at once. My sword met that of a particularly burly attacker. He grinned, which did not do wonders for his already slovenly face.

"My, what a sparkly sword you have there, princess," I taunted. "Is it the latest trend in your kingdom?" I expected him to turn red with fury, but instead his grin widened.

"You ain't seen nothing yet," he replied. "This is no ordinary sword; it's enchanted. All of them are." As if on cue, the weight of his sword doubled. I grunted in surprise. It took all of my strength not to lower my own weapon.

"Hah! Cheaters," I forced out between gritted teeth. "So basically you aren't man enough to manage on your skills alone, huh? You have to rely on some sorcerer to enchant your sword for you!" That got him angry.

"The enchantment is merely a precaution, to ensure whoever is slashed will die a painful death!" he growled. He raised his sword from mine and I took the opportunity to jump back. My arms were shaking from the strain of holding off his sword; this wasn't good.

"So, basically the blade is cursed?" I asked.

"Yes. Now die, scum!" My opponent roared and charged me, but I sidestepped and managed to slash his back. He went down with a grunt.

"Sorry buddy, but magic can't make up for skill or brains," I told his corpse. I was only able to celebrate my victory for a moment. If all the swords were enchanted like that, even a small scratch was deadly.

"Whatever you do, don't let their swords touch you!" I shouted to my companions. "They're cursed - even the smallest scratch will kill you!" I'm not sure if anyone heard, but I wasn't able to confirm as another attacker came at me.

The rest of the fight was a blur. It was hard to concentrate on everything else while trying to avoid even being touched by the opponent's blade. At one point, I dimly registered Gwen screaming, "NO!" before a fire erupted from the direction of the camp. I guess the intruders had set fire to one of the tents. The Druids were panicking, scrambling around trying to put out the fire but it spread too fast. By the time the last attacker was finished off, the camp was practically burnt to the ground.

One of the Druids rounded on the blind woman, eyes glaring daggers. "This is all your fault! You have the gift of foresight - why didn't you see that betrayal coming?"

"The future is not completely set in stone. While I can see glimpses, I cannot see everything. And I have no control over even what I can see," she replied. The Druid was about to say something else when Gwen quickly intervened.

"It is pointless to assign blame. The fault lies with the traitor and him alone," she said.

"She's right," Arthur agreed. "For now, we should focus on defeating Cairon."

"What?" I cried. "You can't be serious? What about Merlin?" Arthur closed his eyes.

"Unfortunately, we have no leads whatsoever on Merlin's whereabouts and Cairon's brutality increases every day. He must be stopped at all costs." Unbelievable.

"Merlin is your friend! And if he's such a powerful sorcerer, then he will be key in defeating Cairon! We have to find him first!" I argued.

"My first duty is to my people, Gwaine," Arthur growled. "I've abandoned them for too long, and as a result things like _this_ happen on a regular basis!" He gestured to the destroyed camp. "I must return to the castle and round up the knights. We have to fight Cairon head on." All of us stared at Arthur in disbelief. His shoulders slumped briefly, but then he straightened.

"I'm not asking you to accompany me. I know how much Merlin means to all of you; if you wish, you may continue searching. Perhaps that's better anyway. But I for one must go back." He looked around at each of us in turn. Percival and Leon exchanged glances while Elyan whispered something quietly to Gwen. She looked torn.

"You must all go," the blind woman spoke up suddenly. "Along the way, you will meet someone of great importance, someone who is key to both finding Emrys and defeating Cairon." My eyes widened.

"How do you -" I stopped myself. Right, she was a seer. The Druid from before glared at her.

"So now you decide to tell fortunes?" he snarled.

"The White Lady has shown me this," the seer replied dreamily. "It is of the utmost importance that every member of the group returns to the citadel." What is with this White Lady? If she's so interested in our quest, she should come to us herself instead of sending cryptic messages through other people!

"Well that settles it," Arthur cut in abruptly. "We shall head for the castle in the morning." He hesitated, then asked, "Would you be so kind as to let us intrude upon your hospitality for the night?" This he addressed to the Druids. The mother of the two children from before smiled.

"Of course. You saved us from those men. Please, rest tonight for you have a long journey ahead of you." Arthur bowed to her and we worked together to salvage whatever we could of the camp. Once that was done, and Percival agreed to take first watch, everyone dropped off into an exhausted slumber.

* * *

><p>Morgana hummed happily as she observed the scene in the crystal orb. Their plan to distract Arthur from saving Merlin was a success.<p>

"So they have successfully been redirected?" a voice asked from the shadows.

"Yes, my lord," Morgana said softly, turning to face the man in grey. He smirked.

"Good. Now we can sit back and watch as Arthur and Cairon attempt to tear each other apart." Morgana raised an eyebrow.

"Are we simply going to sit back and watch? My lord," she added hurriedly after noticing the grey man's glare. His sinister smirk reappeared.

"Of course not, my dear. We are going to be working among the shadows, just as we have always done. Besides, we still haven't figure out what to do with this one." He walked over and kicked a bundle on the ground, which let out a soft grunt. The bundle was bound with ropes and chains, both of which hummed with the power of magic.

"Ah yes. The great and powerful Emrys. But you're not so great and powerful now, are you?" Morgana hissed. The bundle didn't stir this time. Morgana smiled.

"I can't believe I didn't see it before. You managed to fool everyone, even Arthur and Uther. How would your friends react if they found out you've been lying to them all this time? How would Arthur feel knowing that you practically betrayed him?" She would have continued had the man in grey not stepped in.

"You can play with him later, Morgana. Right now we have work to do." He swept out of the room. Morgana sent one last hateful glance at Merlin's unconscious form before following her master out the door. The resounding _click_ of the lock echoed around the near barren room and its lonely inhabitant.


	13. Chapter 12: A Fateful Encounter

**Chapter 12: A Fateful Encounter**

_**HALE**_

When I awoke, I stared at the trees above me with a blank expression. It was dark, so I knew it had to be nighttime. I wished I could see the stars, but the thick green canopy above prevented that. I sat up and stretched. My muscles were sore from lying on the ground for so long. I scanned the area and noticed almost everyone was asleep. Little Gwaine lay contentedly curled up next to Isolde. Kay's back was turned to me, but it was obvious he was keeping watch. The flames from the campfire lit his silhouette eerily. I wondered if he'd gotten any sleep at all. I got up with a groan and walked over to where he sat, plopping down beside him.

"Did you get any sleep at all?" I whispered.

He turned over and shrugged. "A little. You?"

"Some. Kept having disturbing dreams though," I muttered.

"Well considering what happened earlier, that doesn't surprise me." He snuck a glance at me. "Do you think you really are the princess?"

I grimaced.

"I really don't want to believe it, but it makes sense. When Vivian first told me the story, parts of it felt really familiar. And those visions, memories, whatever, they were so real. Even in my worst nightmares, I don't think I'd be able to make up people with such detail. But," here I frowned. "I escaped, clearly. And I vaguely remember being in a forest after the massacre. But what happened after that? What caused me to lose my memory?" Kay looked upset.

"I don't know. It must have been extremely traumatic though, whatever it was. What happened after you first woke up?" My brow furrowed.

"I… I literally couldn't remember anything. I couldn't remember what leaves were, or snow, or more importantly where or who I was. I just woke up in the middle of nowhere with my sword lying beside me." Kay turned sharply.

"Your sword!" Kay sat up abruptly. "Perhaps that holds the key to your memories. Bring it over here and look at it. Now that you've regained some of your memory, maybe examining the sword will jog something else." I scanned the tent and it wasn't in here. I walked out of the tent and scanned area for my sword and spotted it leaning against a tree. Running over and snatching it Kay joined me outside and we sat next to the fire. I unsheathed my weapon. The firelight danced across the blade, giving it the appearance of glowing. I concentrated as hard as I could, but nothing came to mind. Frustrated, I growled and dropped the sword with a huff. Kay patted my shoulder soothingly.

"Perhaps you just have to be patient then. Things happen for a reason, you know." I grumbled in resignation. Hopefully, the answers would come to me soon.

"I just can't believe that the person responsible for ruining so many lives could be my uncle," I whispered sadly. Then my expression hardened.

"I have to stop him. One way or another, Cairon must be defeated. If I truly am Actica's princess, then it's my responsibility to stop him."

* * *

><p>We had been traveling uphill through a mountain forest for a few days when we heard a rumble in the distance. The gypsies exchanged mutters and worried glances.<p>

"Oh dear. I hope a storm isn't coming," Vivian said. "We're not prepared for something like that. Perhaps it would be best to find shelter today." We were about to continue walking when I stopped. Another rumble echoed throughout the forest, a little louder this time. Gwaine, who was perched on my shoulder, chittered nervously. Was it just me, or was the ground shaking?

I scanned the area, then my eyes rested on the trees ahead of us. Snow covered the ground, and I noticed the tips of the trees trembling in a nonexistent wind. Slowly, the rumbling grew louder.

"My goodness! Is the storm already upon us?" One of the women asked. I glanced at the sky. Grey, but not dark like it would be if a storm was brewing. I thought carefully before a horrible thought struck me. My face paled.

"Oh no," I whispered. Our luck couldn't be _that_ bad, could it? My answer came in the form of wildlife suddenly bursting from the forest and rushing towards us. The horses reared and the gypsies were having a hard time controlling them as deer, birds, and all sorts of forest creatures darted back the way we had come.

"RUN!" I screamed. "That's not a storm - it's an avalanche!" Terrified shouts followed this statement as we all turned tail and started running for our lives. I risked a glance back to see the beginnings of a white wall surge down, crushing everything in its path. Trees ten times the size of a man snapped like twigs in the wake of the wave. The roar of the advancing avalanche pounded through our ears and spurred us even faster. But in my heart, I knew we wouldn't make it. There was no way we could outrun an avalanche.

"_Snáwslide, ic pe hate!_" someone shouted. I looked back to see a blonde woman standing in the middle of the path, both arms raised as if to embrace a long lost friend. _What are you thinking,_ I wanted to scream. _You're going to die - get away from there!_ But the words died in my throat as I saw the avalanche slow, then stop at the feet of the blonde. Even from a distance, I could see her shaking. Another woman - this time a brunette - sprinted out of the woods and grabbed the blond's shoulders. She shook her violently, shouting something angrily. The blond replied, but I couldn't hear them over the ringing in my ears. These two were sorceresses, or at least the first was. What were they doing out here? Did they work for Cairon? I was so stunned I didn't realize they had turned around. Upon catching sight of me, both their faces drained of color.

"You… no… it can't be…" The brunette was in a state of shock. The other woman wasn't in much better condition.

"You… you should be dead," the blond said finally.

* * *

><p>After realizing the avalanche stopped, the gypsies set up camp on a wide rock ledge, a little ways down the mountain from where we ran. Trees ringed the outer edges. Still somewhat shocked, I numbly sat in front of the campfire. Ide and Jade, as I'd learned they were called, sat on the opposite side. While Jade had sharp features, Ide's were kind and wise. The gypsies glared at them while Alec and Isolde cowered behind their mother. The gypsies clearly didn't trust the two women since they could use magic, but they couldn't turn the two away either. After all, it was their magic that had saved our lives.<p>

"What did you mean before, when you said I should be dead?" I asked. Twin expressions of pain crossed their faces. I reached across the fire and grasped their hands.

"Please," I begged. "I don't know why, but I feel like you two are the missing links to my past I've been looking for. I woke up a few weeks ago without any knowledge of who I was or where I came from. All I had was this sword," I showed them the weapon, and they both gasped. "And the clothes on my back. I've been having strange dreams that seem too real to be just dreams, and recently my memory has started coming back. I don't want to believe it, but I don't think I have any other choice. Am I really the princess of Actica? Do I know you? Do you know who I am?" I asked desperately. Jade and Ide exchanged concerned glances. Something unspoken passed between them, and they turned back to me.

"We cannot tell you everything, but we can tell you who you really are." Then they went on to explain who I was. The things they said were so fantastic I would have disregarded it all if it weren't for the niggling feeling that they were telling the truth.

"So you're telling me," I began after a long pause. "That not only am I the lost princess of Actica, but that was a lie to start with because I'm really one of three powerful, magical sisters who are destined to kick Cairon's butt?" They had the nerve to nod like I had simply recited the Camelot's history.

"If I'm so powerful, how was I killed? How did I manage to lose my memory? And if you're truly my sisters, where the hell were you two when all of this was happening?" My voice steadily rose until I was practically shouting. They both winced.

"We failed you. We did not think Cairon would be so reckless as to attack you in the open like that. He… he killed you, and we held a funeral. We burned your body, so how you're alive right now is a mystery to us," Ide said, running a hand through her blond hair tiredly. She glanced at the sky, then abruptly stood. "Unfortunately, we must take our leave now. We've lingered too long as it is." Jade got up to stand beside her sister.

"What?" I cried, leaping to my feet. "You're just going to leave after dropping something like that on me? What kind of sisters are you?" Jade glared at me.

"Extremely busy ones!" she snapped. "Unlike you, we've been working tirelessly to find a way to defeat Cairon."

"Well excuse me if I've been a little dead and amnesic!" I shouted. An extremely awkward silence followed my outburst. Then I sighed.

"Look," I said, trying to calm down. "I want to defeat Cairon as much as you do, maybe even more so since he killed my family. What can I do to help?"

The sisters exchanged glances again - did I mention how much I hate it when they do that? - then turned back to me.

"Travel to Camelot. You will need allies to help you in the fight against Cairon. And make sure not to draw attention to yourself. I don't believe Cairon realizes you're alive yet, and we don't want him to know until you're ready to fight." They turned to leave.

"Wait," I called. They stopped but didn't turn around. "Will I see you again?"

Jade turned back to me with a smirk.

"Perhaps," was all she said. Then she and Ide walked off into the forest. Suddenly, I realized I'd forgotten to ask them the most important question.

"One more thing!" I yelled. "What is my real name?" This time, it was Ide who turned back with a sad smile.

"Hale. Your name is Hale."

* * *

><p>Ide and Jade watched their sister and the gypsies set up camp. Questions whirled around in their minds, but the only person who could answer them would probably refuse. <em>You brought her back, but left her to fend for herself. And you armed her with <em>that_ sword. What game are you playing at, mother?_ they thought in unison.


	14. Chapter 13: The Long Way Back

**Chapter 13: The Long Way Back**

_**GWAINE**_

"Are you sure there is nothing we can do for you?" Arthur asked for the umpteenth time that morning. He seemed to have warmed up a bit towards the Druids in the wake of last night's events. It was the day after Cairon's men attacked, and we were preparing to leave for Camelot.

"Yes. You must go quickly," the kind seer told him, smiling slightly. I rolled my eyes.

"Come on, Arthur. I'm sure they're waiting to be rid of us, we've overstayed our welcome as it is. You're only slowing us down by bothering them about it," I told him, clapping a friendly hand to his shoulder. He agreed quickly enough and with one last wave to the Druids, we were off. The little girl had been unwilling to let go of Gwen at first, but gave in when we reminded her we were on a mission to save the land. She waved the hardest as we began our journey back to the castle.

"Once we reach Ealdor, it only takes a week to reach the citadel," he told us.

"Is that by horse or on foot?" I asked. Arthur stopped, then resumed walking.

"By horse," he replied, and everyone groaned.

* * *

><p>It took us a week on foot to reach Ealdor. It was a good thing we did too, as that's right about when we ran out of supplies. It took quite a lot of haggling but we managed to acquire provisions for the next leg of the journey. We didn't dare try to find a horse though; it was hard enough getting extra food and clothing.<p>

"So from here it should take about a month on foot to reach the castle, right?" Elyan asked. Arthur nodded wearily.

"Well in that case, we should rest well tonight. We can set up camp early and go over our plans rather than start traveling now," Leon suggested. There were no complaints as everyone was exhausted from the pace of travel. Poor Gwen looked like she was about to fall over. As we broke out the supplies, she made to help when Arthur gently guided her to a nearby log.

"You need to rest. You're exhausted," he said quietly.

"So is everyone else!" she argued. "I refuse to sit here doing nothing while the rest of you work!" Arthur continued to argue with her and my heart ached as I remembered the last time this happened. Back then, _she_ had managed to convince Gwen to rest with a single comment. If only Hale were here now… I shook my head and tried to ignore my broken heart as I left to gather firewood. That only reminded me of our missing friend, who usually ended up scavenging twigs not fit to roast a mouse' supper. What little was left of my heart disintegrated further at the memory. I chuckled humorlessly, and wondered if I was losing my mind.

* * *

><p>Merlin moaned as he returned to the waking world. He tried to sit up but realized he was heavily weighed down by something. Craning his neck, he gazed in dismay at the ropes and chains binding his body. He could clearly feel the magic infused within his bonds. After a few failed attempts at breaking through with a combination of brute force and magic, he gave up. There was no way he could break out of these by himself. Huffing, he scanned the room. The only other thing in the room was a gently glowing crystal orb that pulsed every so often. It rested on a plain black table.<p>

_Where in the world am I?_ Merlin wondered. _What happened anyway?_ He closed his eyes, trying to remember. There were the dryads, escaping, going back for the sisters, then - His eyes flew open.

_Mordred!_ Merlin thought. _He must have gotten me somehow. I vaguely remember a rockslide, but everything's a blur after that. How long have I been out?_ He tried again to free himself, but it was useless. With a groan, Merlin flopped back on the floor.

_Mordred must have brought me to wherever he and Morgana are hiding,_ he thought. _Perhaps Cairon is here somewhere too. What do they want me for, I wonder?_ In the back of his mind, Merlin noted that he really should have been panicking right about now, but there was something preventing him from doing so. He suspected they drugged him, or placed him under a spell. Maybe it was one of the spells infused in the restraints. That magic was also making him sleepy.

_I guess I'll just have to wait this out for now. I hope the others are alright,_ was Merlin's last thought before sleep pulled him under again.


	15. Chapter 14: Reunion

**Chapter 14: Reunion**

_**HALE**_

The gypsies were silent throughout dinner. The only noises were small shuffles as we tried to get comfortable on the cold, unforgiving mountain rock. I couldn't stop thinking about what Ide and Jade had told me, and I assumed they couldn't either. I hadn't been with the gypsies for long, but we'd become close in the days we'd spent traveling together. Now, it was almost as if all that was erased. They didn't know how to act around me anymore, and I couldn't blame them. I'd known for a while I could use magic, but this was ridiculous. How could I be a powerful sorceress when I couldn't even avoid getting captured by bandits? But even with all the holes in the story, I knew the sisters hadn't lied to me. I needed to stop Cairon myself, and apparently that meant traveling to Camelot. But could I just leave the gypsies like this? They were practically my family now. And the thought of leaving Kay suddenly made me feel queasy. I gazed at the stars, hoping that the solution to my indecision would come to me, but of course nothing happened. And deep in my heart, I already knew I'd made my decision. I just didn't want to face it.

"Are you alright?" Kay asked. Even he seemed wary of me now. I shrugged.

"About as okay as one can be after something like that," I told him. He didn't respond, instead standing to go hunt in the forest. I watched as his long strides carried him across the rock and into the trees. Right as he was about to disappear from my sight, I gathered all of my courage and blurted, "I have to go." He whipped around in shock.

"Go? You're not seriously going to do as those witches said, are you?" I winced when he described my sisters as "witches" but let it slide.

"Yes. As far-fetched as their story was, something is telling me that they spoke the truth," I replied. "That day I had the visions… they were memories. I'm sure of it now. That bastard Cairon, my uncle, slaughtered my family and is doing the same to the people of Albion. I can't just hide and let him have his way." I held a hand up to stop his protests.

"Please, don't try to dissuade me. I've already made up my mind. I won't ask you to accompany me, or even support my decision, but I am asking that you let me go." I found the strength to stare directly into his piercing blue eyes, which were torn with disbelief and indecision.

"I am grateful for all that you and the others have done for me. I'll miss you, but I have to do this." Kay was quiet for several minutes. I held my breath and prayed he would let me go, and maybe even decide to come with me. I did not want to fight him on this. Finally, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Since nothing I do will convince you to stay, I just we'll just have to let you go." He sounded sad as he said this, but tried to give me a small smile. "I don't exactly support your decision to go alone, but if that's what you want…" I smiled.

"Thank you, Kaylahn," I said gratefully. He grimaced.

"Don't thank me. I should be stopping you," he grumbled. I laughed, then became serious.

"I'll leave at first light tomorrow, but I'll say goodbye tonight. I'll be gone before the others wake up." It would make it that much harder to leave if I had to say goodbye right before I left.

"Are you going to tell them now?" Kay asked. I nodded, then took a deep breath and approached the rest of the gypsies.

"Everyone," I called. "I have something I need to say." My voice echoed around the mountain. They watched me, some with unease and outright distrust on their faces. Vivian, Alec, and Isolde watched me in worry.

"I am eternally grateful to you for everything you've done, and I wish you all the best. An I don't blame you if you're not sure what to make of me - heck, I don't know what to make of myself anymore." I paused and attempted to gather my strength. This was so much harder than I thought it would be. "But, I'm afraid I have to leave you." There were gasps and a resounding, "No!" from Isolde.

"I have to go to Camelot. I need to gather allies and bring down Cairon once and for all." The rest of my speech was drowned out in the pandemonium I had caused. Isolde and Alec flew towards me, begging me to tell them it wasn't true. Vivian had her hands over her mouth. And Little Gwaine watched me sadly. I knelt down to hold the children.

"Alec, Isolde, I'm sorry but I have to go. I don't want to, but I'm doing this for you, my new family, as much as I'm doing it for my old family. As for you Gwaine," I looked at my little marten. "It's up to you whether you come or not. I'm not forcing you into anything." The marten considered this for a moment, but scampered over and curled up in my lap. I smiled faintly.

"Then I guess it's just you and me, buddy," I told him. Isolde was bawling into my tunic while Alec simply clung to my arm. I comforted the children as best as I could while trying to hold my own tears at bay.

* * *

><p>The goodbyes lasted for two hours, and even then the children refused to leave my side. They lay next to me, soft snores emitting from their mouths every so often. My heart cracked as I observed their tear-stained faces in the firelight. I didn't want to leave, but I had no choice if I was to save them. Quietly extracting myself from Isolde's grip, I began to gather my supplies. It didn't take nearly as long as I'd hoped.<p>

With everything in place and Gwaine on my shoulder, I gazed at the sleeping forms of the kind gypsies for what I hoped wasn't the last time.

"Time to go, Gwaine," I whispered. But as I turned to leave, two hands reached out to stop me.

"Ainia - or, I suppose I should call you Hale now," Kay whispered. "Take care of yourself." I smiled at him, then turned to the woman at his side.

"We still owe you a great deal - never hesitate to ask for our help, should you need it," Vivian told me. "And don't forget, my dear, that you are always welcome here." I could feel the tears pricking at the backs of my eyes. Damn it. This is why I didn't want anyone to be awake when I left.

"I know. Hopefully, this won't be the last time we see each other. But if it is, I promise I'll never forget you. Any of you," My jaw was trembling at this point, which Vivian, ever the vigilant mother, noticed instantly. She swept me up into her arms and I allowed a few tears to drop onto her shoulder. I felt Kay patting my back soothingly. We stayed in this embrace for several moments before Gwaine squeaked softly. I sighed and let go, wiping my eyes.

"Well, wish me luck then," I said with false cheer. Kay and Vivian smiled at me sadly, and I could feel them watching as I turned my back and headed into the forest. My lonely steps were loud against the stone beneath my feet, which then gave way to softer forest floor. Before I was out of sight of the camp, I looked back one last time.

"Be safe," I whispered before plunging into the gloom of the trees.

* * *

><p>Dawn broke a few hours after Gwaine and I left the gypsies. According to Vivian and Kay, it would take me at least a month on foot to reach Camelot from here. I groaned.<p>

"This is going to take forever, Gwaine," I complained to the marten on my shoulder. He squeaked and nuzzled my ear.

"Yeah, I know, this is for the greater good. But the longer we take, the more people Cairon will hurt," I said, frowning. Then I glared at the surrounding trees.

"And of course, it'll only take a month if we don't get lost! How am I supposed to know where we're going if everything looks the same?!" I cried in frustration. "Look at that bush, Gwaine! I swear we've passed it three times already." The marten simply ignored me since he was used to my ranting by now.

We walked for another three hours before a faint gurgling sound reached my ears. Excited, I dashed through the forest. To my delight, I found a narrow but deep stream. Perfect! I'd been low on water anyway. Gwaine leapt down and lapped at the water eagerly.

"What are you so thirsty for?" I teased. "I've been doing all the work - _you_ got a free ride!" Again, he ignored me. Shaking my head, I knelt by the stream to fill my waterskin.

Suddenly, I heard faint voices coming from the forest. My head snapped up and I immediately looked around for a place to hide. Who knew who these people were and if they were friendly - better to be safe than sorry. I grabbed Gwaine and quickly climbed a nearby tree, trying to make as little noise as possible. We sat as still as statues hoping the voices would pass us by. Unfortunately, they only got louder the closer their owners approached.

"Are you absolutely sure you know where you're going?" a man's voice asked.

"Yes! Now stop questioning my every move and just do as you're told!" another male voice roared back. Something about that voice seemed familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.

"Both of you, stop it. We're all tired and stressed, but we shouldn't take it out on each other," a third voice, this time female, scolded. There was a muttered apology and a _hmph_ but no further arguments. By now I could hear their footsteps, and from what I could tell there were around six or seven people. I relaxed slightly. I could handle seven people alone if they turned out to be hostile.

"Look! A stream!" the first man's voice cried. The footsteps picked up pace and within moments I was finally able to see the travelers. There were six men and one woman. I couldn't make out their faces as their backs were to me, but the men were clearly well built. The woman looked delicate, but something told me she wasn't someone to mess with. Sighs of relief were heard all around as one by one the travelers dropped their supplies and knelt by the stream. A dark skinned man pulled out a well maintained sword.

"Gwen, can you start a fire?" he asked the woman. "I'll try to catch us some dinner." Gwen nodded and set off into the forest. Meanwhile, the dark-skinned man waded into the stream and tried to catch one of the fish speeding by. Two of the other men laughed at his attempts as the poor pseudo-fisherman lunged at random, desperately trying to make one catch. A third man with dark wavy hair tsked and grabbed a stick from the ground. He pulled out a hunting knife and began sharpening the end.

"Stupid Elyan. That's not how you fish. You're scaring all of them away. Get out and let me handle it," the man with the stick said. Elyan looked relieved and waded out as the other man stepped into the stream. He stood very still for a moment before lashing out so fast I nearly fell off my branch in shock. He triumphantly held the stick, with a fish wriggling on the end, in the air.

"That's how you do it, Elyan!" laughed one very large man, who reminded me of a teddy bear. Elyan scowled.

"Shut up, Percy. I'd like to see you do better," Elyan retorted. Percy was about to reply when the bossy man from before yelled, "Elyan, Percival, Leon! Get off your lazy butts and help me set up camp!" All three men sprang to their feet and rushed to help their boss, as the fisherman continued his work. I assumed the man setting up camp was their leader since they followed his orders without question. He did seem to exude authority. His blond hair and blue eyes only contributed to the "princely" image. Wait, princely? Why does that sound familiar? My musings were interrupted by another splash.

"I think I have enough," the man in the stream announced. He waded out with a handful of fish grasped by the tails. The makeshift spear he held in his left hand. I felt Little Gwaine stir next to me.

"Bring them over here!" the woman - Gwen- called. In all the commotion at the stream, I hadn't noticed that she'd already started a fire. She had also set up a spit for the fish. The man from the stream tossed the fish her way, earning him a fierce glare.

"Was that really necessary?" she asked grumpily. He smirked.

"Adds to the flavor," was his only comment before he plopped down by the fire, and his luscious hair flowed about. I almost laughed at the ridiculousness of the group. There was something endearing about them, that just made me smile.

Gwen put one fish on the spit and I felt Little Gwaine squirm again. As the fish cooked and the smell wafted into the air, I felt his stirring become increasingly agitated. Alarmed, I glanced down to find the marten's eyes fixed on the roasting fish.

"Oh no," I whispered. "Gwaine, don't you _dare_ -" My sentence was cut off as Gwaine, with an impressive leap, made a beeline for the fish. He landed between Gwen and the dark haired man, startling them both. But of course, the greedy little rodent simply ignored them in favor of the fish roasting over the fire.

"You little -" In my agitation, I'd attempted to reach for Gwaine but leaned too far and ended up falling out of the tree instead. I groaned and sat up, rubbing my head.

"Damn marten, where do you get off thinking it's okay to steal other people's food and more importantly give us away? Don't you have any common sense, you little…" I continued to rant and curse the marten as I stood and brushed myself off. A moment later, I finally noticed the utter silence that enveloped the camp. My annoyance drained away as I looked up, straight into the wide eyes of the blond man who had apparently finished his task. We stared at each other for a minute, then simultaneously pointed and shouted, "YOU!" He looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"Holy - I remember you now! I thought you looked familiar. You're that guy, the one I dreamt about!" Noticing the look on his face, I quickly backtracked. "I mean, the dream it's, it's not what it sounds like!" I paused, then realized, "Okay, maybe it is as creepy as it sounds, but I swear I just had a weird dream about all of you, and it seemed so real and I guess now I know why…" As I continued to ramble, I noticed the blond's face becoming paler and paler. Winded, I finally paused for breath, then asked in a much softer voice, "Hey, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." I surveyed his companions. All of them had similar expressions on their faces. Gwen had her hands cupped over her mouth, tears running down her cheeks. The blond shakily approached me with an outstretched hand.

"Are… are you real?" he whispered. His hand came close to my shoulder, but he pulled back at the last second like he was afraid. I cocked my head.

"Um, yes last time I checked. Why?" I asked, seriously wondering if these people were alright. No one responded. That concerned me. Did I break them…?

A gnawing sound broke the silence, and we all turned to see my marten contentedly munching on the half cooked fish. My annoyance returned with a vengeance.

"Gwaine, this is all your fault! If you weren't such a greedy little bastard, we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place! Why couldn't you just keep still?" I cried, frustrated. The dark haired man sitting next to Gwen made a choking sound.

"G-gwaine?" he gasped.

"Yes. That's the name of the little rascal who's currently enjoying _your_ dinner. Sorry about that, by the way," I added with a frown. "I'll catch some more fish for you guys. It's the least I can do, quite literally crashing in and all. You don't seem dangerous anyway, so I suppose hiding was all for naught." I cautiously approached the man by the fire and held a hand out for the abandoned spear. He didn't move, simply staring at me with an expression of shock, disbelief, and an astonishing amount of pain.

"You don't remember us, do you?" a voice said quietly. I spun around to see a handsome man with an unreadable expression standing behind me. Somehow I knew he was the most rational of the lot, and was there something between him and Gwen?

"S-should I?" I stuttered. He flinched.

"What… what is your name?" he asked. I could hear the apprehension and pain he was trying to hide in his voice, a pain that was slowly appearing on every face in the camp. This was really freaking me out.

"H-Hale. M-my name is Hale," I cursed my stuttering. My intuition was saying these people wouldn't hurt me, but why was I so nervous? I awkwardly stood next to the fire as they digested that tidbit of information. Finally the blond man from before managed to crack a smile.

"Well then… Hale," he almost choked when he said my name. "Why don't you tell us your story?"

_**END PART ONE**_


	16. Chapter 15: Together Again

_**PART TWO**_

**Chapter 15: Together Again**

_**HALE**_

Telling these people my story was a lot harder than I thought it would be. The entire time, a little voice kept nagging at me that something wasn't right. I kept pushing it to the back of my mind, but the stupid voice just kept coming back. To make matters worse, the longer I talked the more depressed my new companions seemed to become. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Finally, I'd had enough.

"That is it! Why are you people getting so depressed over this? You don't know me, and the story isn't all that sad!" I cried. The handsome man, who had introduced himself as Lancelot, sighed.

"That's the thing, Hale. We do know you. Or at least we did before…" He trailed off and I fumed.

"Before what? Did you guys know me before I lost my memory?" _Before I died,_ I added in my head. "Please," I begged, my sudden shift in emotions throwing everyone off. "I need to know what happened to me. I need to know who I am, besides the fact that I'm the princess of a kingdom I can't remember…" It was Gwen who spoke up.

"You were our friend. A very dear friend. You saved Arthur and the knights from a group of bandits, which is how we met. I believe it was right after you fled Actica. You stayed in Camelot for a while, then all of us decided to hunt Cairon after refugees started pouring into the citadel. At one point, we were captured by dryads and encountered Morgana. That's when we lost Merlin -" I interrupted her.

"Wait, slow down. Who's Merlin? In my dreams, all of you mentioned he's missing, and from what I could tell he isn't a knight, so who is he?" Gwen grimaced.

"Merlin is Arthur's personal servant, but he's so much more than that. Whether they'll admit it or not, the two are really close friends. I'd even go so far as to say best friends." She pointedly ignored Arthur's indignant splutter at that statement. "Merlin has proved to be a loyal, trustworthy friend to us all. You two bonded right away; you were practically inseparable." She smiled, probably remembering happier times. Then she sobered. "I think you thought of him as a brother, and you were so desperate to save him after Morgana kidnapped him that you…" here she trailed off, overcome by emotion. Arthur patted her back soothingly and picked up the tale.

"You were angry with us for laughing while Merlin was missing. You stormed off to find him by yourself, but Cairon found and killed you."

"It's okay now though," I said. "I'm not dead; look at me! I'm very much alive."

"But you were dead. I'll never forget the horror of finding your corpse, or watching your body burn," Arthur shuddered. "Even your supposedly 'powerful' sisters couldn't do a thing about it. They were the ones who carried out your cremation."

My head whipped up in shock.

"You know Ide and Jade?" I blurted. Arthur's eyebrows shot up.

"Yes, we saved them from the dryads and traveled with them for a bit. How do you know them? I thought you couldn't remember anything from your past."

"I met them. They saved us from an avalanche and told me who they were, and to an extent who I was." I scowled. "They conveniently left out the part about me traveling with you, though," I muttered. I was surprised to find the lull that followed wasn't awkward. All of us needed a chance to digest everything. Then the man named Leon clapped me on the shoulder.

"At any rate, it's good to have you back, Hale," he told me sincerely. The tension lifted slightly. I smiled.

"It's nice to meet you again, even though I apparently knew you very well in the past," I joked. I grinned at the man who'd fished, who I learned was named, ironically, Gwaine.

"Well enough to subconsciously name my first companion after you," I told him. He smiled weakly back, and I winced as I realized he was still wary of me. What were we like before? I shook myself slightly. I'd have time to figure that out later, wouldn't I?

"By the way," I said slowly. "Since we both seem to have the same goal, and we're already friends," the word felt right on my tongue. "Can I stay with you guys? Or would that be too… difficult?" Their reactions upon first seeing me weren't encouraging. I didn't want to hurt them any more than I already had. For a moment I was afraid they would refuse, but the smile Gwen sent my way eased my worries.

"Of course! You didn't even need to ask," she said happily. All of them were smiling at me, except for Gwaine (the human). I beamed anyway.

"Thank you so much! Oh, by the way," I grabbed my marten before he could pilfer any more food. "I don't think you've been properly introduced. This is Gwaine, who has been with me practically since the beginning. Gwaine, these are nice people who you are not to steal any more food from. Got it?" I asked sternly. He grumbled but seemed to agree… hopefully. Gwen stretched out a hand to pet him.

"He's adorable," she said softly. Gwaine perked up at that and allowed Gwen to stroke his head - and his ego. I rolled my eyes.

"Try not to compliment him too much. He's arrogant enough as is," I complained. The marten glared at me. Gwen chuckled.

"I'm sure he'll fit right in then," she said with a smile. From behind her, Arthur cleared his throat.

"Now that the excitement of having Hale back has died down a bit, we need to think of a plan," the prince started grimly. "We were on our way back to the citadel when we ran into you, Hale. We met a Druid woman who possessed the power of clairvoyance, and she told us to return to Camelot if we were to ever defeat Cairon. Our first order of business will be convincing my father to participate in this war, and then we will need to find other allies besides the knights of Camelot -"

"And what of Merlin?" I interrupted. "Isn't he your friend? Are you just going to leave him?" Arthur closed his eyes.

"We don't have a choice," he said. "As much as I fear for the idiot's safety, he apparently -" Arthur glared at Lancelot. "- can take care of himself. And considering what happened before, I don't think splitting up is the best option. There are only eight of us to begin with; sending four men to confront a powerful witch like Morgana would be suicide. Unfortunately, in order to get Merlin back we're going to have to defeat Cairon, and by association Morgana."

I frowned. As logical as the prince's reasoning was, abandoning a friend didn't sit well with me.

"We will also need to find where Cairon is hiding. There is no point in mustering an army if we can't find our enemy," Arthur added.

I scowled. This just keeps getting better and better.

"Where are we going to find that information? He's not likely to just hand out directions to whoever asks!" I threw my hands in the air for emphasis.

"Can you find him?" Lancelot spoke up suddenly. I blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"He is your uncle, and a powerful sorcerer. His magic must leave some traces, and I know there are spells for locating objects or people. Perhaps you could…" he trailed off when he noticed Arthur's expression. The suffocating tension from before was back with a vengeance. I frowned.

"Sadly, I don't know any spells like that. But maybe you know someone who does?" I finished hopefully. There were downcast expressions all around until Gwen suddenly brightened.

"Gaius! He used to be a magic user, right? He lives in the citadel, we know for a fact we can trust him, and he'll want to do whatever it takes to save Merlin!"

If possible, Arthur looked even gloomier about this fact. However, I cut him off before he could start ranting.

"Great! So once we get to Camelot, everything will begin falling into place." I exclaimed. Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"Somehow, I doubt it will be that easy," he said grimly. "We still have a powerful sorcerer to defeat." With this happy statement, I observed my new (old?) companions' darkened expressions, and I wondered if we were in over our heads.


	17. Chapter 16: Mixed Feelings

**Chapter 16: Mixed Feelings**

_**LANCELOT**_

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the different expressions flitting across Gwaine's face. I couldn't imagine what he was going through. My head was still reeling from Hale's unexpected return, and I was nowhere near as close to her as Gwaine was. He had just accepted that Hale was dead and then she suddenly reappears… with no memories of him or the rest of us. For the most part, Gwaine avoided any contact with Hale while he tried to sort through his feelings. Whenever she addressed him, he'd smile weakly and gave curt answers.

For better or worse, Hale did not seem to have picked up on Gwaine's turmoil. She was clearly unsettled from having her past so suddenly thrown in her face, but she took it all in stride and was still the fiery girl we knew and loved. Even death could not change her. In fact, it appeared to have affected us much more than it did Hale. Gwen was smiling more and laughing with her lost sister, but whenever Hale wasn't looking a spark of disbelief and fear would appear in the future queen's eyes. She was terrified that this was all a dream, that tomorrow we would wake up and Hale would be dead again.

The rest of the men were similarly cautious. Percival subtly avoided physical contact with her while Leon did the exact opposite. He constantly had an arm around her or was ruffling her hair. At one point, he even challenged Hale to a rematch. To no one's surprise, Hale accepted with glee. Their mock battle lasted for at least fifteen minutes before Hale grew bored and knocked Leon off guard.

Even Arthur wasn't as blasé as he pretended to be. When Hale disappeared to bathe, Arthur nearly had a conniption when he realized she wasn't there. He started shouting for her and when she reappeared, damp and admonishing the prince for his volume, Arthur mercilessly scolded her for leaving without warning. The rest of us winced as the shouting match began.

"I'm not a child!" Hale screamed. "I can take care of myself, believe it or not! I've gotten this far, haven't I?"

"That doesn't change the fact that you died once! _Died_, Hale!" Arthur roared back.

I stepped forward to intervene when Hale shouted, "And yet here I am! And now that I'm back, I don't plan to let my guard down so easily." She ran a hand through her hair. "Look," she said more calmly. "I get that you're worried. I… I can't pretend I understand what you're going through, because I don't, but I can tell you I'm not going to disappear or die again. I promise," she finished gently. Arthur huffed in annoyance but ceased yelling at her. I sighed in relief.

"I believe that's quite enough excitement for today," Gwen broke in. "Let's all get some rest since we have to head out as soon as possible." She started distributing tasks, and I couldn't suppress a smile at the way everyone immediately responded to her orders. _She will make an amazing queen,_ I thought. The thought thrilled and saddened me at the same time. I knew from the start her heart belonged to Arthur, but sometimes I still wished…

I shook my head abruptly. "Now's not the time," I muttered quietly. Or at least, I thought I was quiet.

"Did you say something, uh, Lancelot was it?" Hale inquired.

I smiled nervously.

"Nothing important. And yes, I am Lancelot," I said quickly. She eyed me suspiciously but was distracted by Gwaine the marten pawing through our meager belongings.

"Gwaine! You little idjit, don't touch that!" she cried in exasperation. Our Gwaine's head shot up at her cry, but quickly lowered when he realized she wasn't addressing him. I cast him a sympathetic glance which he failed to notice. Hale continued to scold her pet - or was it a companion? He seemed a little too intelligent to be an ordinary animal. I pondered this as everyone settled down for the night. I couldn't help but wonder why Hale had been brought back to us like this. Clearly, it wasn't coincidence that reunited us. My brow furrowed in unease.

What made Hale so special? We already knew she was a powerful sorceress, but why was she chosen and at such a young age too? My mind whirled with questions as the last of my companions drifted off to sleep. I knew I should join them in slumber, but I had too many unanswered questions. Heaving a sigh, I turned and resigned myself to a restless night.


	18. Chapter 17: Reacquaintance

**Chapter 17: Reacquaintance**

_**HALE**_

The first thing I learned, or rather re-learned, about my companions is that they snore. Quite loudly. How I managed to sleep around them before, I don't know. Gwen, my fellow non-snorer, was fast asleep still. I both admired and envied her.

With a groan, I realized any chances of sleep were now lost. Glancing at the sky, I decided to welcome the dawn, which would appear any moment now. I nimbly climbed the closest tree and perched myself on one of the top branches.

_Perfect view_, I thought. Then I noticed the horizon beginning to lighten. _And perfect timing_, I added.

I watched in awe as warm yellow slowly crept up the sky, bringing with it a blaze of pinks and oranges that would put the richest tapestries to shame. The light softened everything it touched, turning the surrounding forest into a field of gentle flames.

Light scratching from below alerted me to Gwaine's presence and snapped me out of my uncharacteristically poetic mood. My marten chittered and settled on my shoulders to go back to sleep. I smiled and scratched his ears absentmindedly. I really couldn't go anywhere without the little guy.

As I settled back and watched the world wake up, I felt at peace for the first time in what seemed like forever.

* * *

><p>I was still transfixed by the sunrise when I heard someone stir below me. Gwen sat up and blearily called, "Hale?"<p>

"Up here," I called back softly before she could start panicking. Gwen whipped her head around and visibly relaxed when she saw my silhouette in the tree.

Shading her eyes, she called, "What on earth are you doing up there?" I simply gestured to the horizon. Although I was too high up to see her face, I could imagine her awestruck expression. While she was distracted, I shimmied down the tree and landed lightly by her side.

"Beautiful," Gwen murmured. "I can't remember the last time I simply sat and observed the scenery. Everything has been about efficiency lately, we've had no time to relax." She shook her head and stood up. "How about we wake the men?" I grinned evilly, which caught Gwen off guard. "Shall I get the water then?"

* * *

><p>Ten minutes, five canteens of water, and six very disgruntled warriors later, everyone was awake and packing up. I was impressed by how efficient they were. Everyone knew exactly what to do and never stepped on each other's toes, literally or metaphorically. Did we do this before? Why could I still not fully remember any of these people? I felt like a bumbling idiot in the midst of such practiced routine. Gwen chuckled when she caught me awkwardly standing to the side.<p>

"Just worry about yourself, Hale. We can take care of the rest," she said. I was about to protest when she held up a hand.

"Really, Hale. We've been doing this for so long it's more of a habit than a chore. Don't fret." I frowned but reluctantly agreed. She wandered off to erase all traces of the campfire. A small smile found its way onto my face when Lancelot quickly finished his tasks in order to help her. It was cute the way he doted on her, although I suspected Gwen loved Arthur. I wondered if Arthur had noticed Lancelot's affections yet.

Within minutes, the camp was cleared up and it was as if no one had ever been there. We did one last sweep before setting off. I jogged to catch up with Arthur, who of course was in the front.

"Arthur?"

"Yes, Hale?"

"How long will it take us to get to the citadel?"

"About a month on foot."

I gaped at him. A month? We didn't have that kind of time!

"Isn't there a faster way?" I asked desperately. "We can't afford to travel for that long!"

He sighed wearily.

"I know. But as we don't have any horses, walking is our only option." I glowered.

"And supplies? Do we have enough provisions to last us that long?"

"We just acquired some at the village of Ealdor, which will last us until we reach the next village." I brightened at that.

"So how far are we from the nearest village? What is it called?"

"There should be a village on the outskirts of the next forest we come across. And we're still about two weeks away from there." I groaned and slunk to the back of the line. Lancelot gave me a sympathetic smile.

"Cheer up, Hale. Time will pass more quickly than you think," he said kindly. Seeing my skeptical look, he laughed. "Trust me. We've been doing nothing but wandering for the last few months." I raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Why? How do you pass the time?" A shadow passed over his face.

"We've been attempting to track down first Cairon then Merlin and Morgana. As for passing the time, well, conversations always work."

"Well in that case," I glanced up furtively to make sure neither Gwen nor Arthur were listening. "Tell me about you and Gwen." Lancelot's eyes widened and I swore he blushed slightly.

"W-what are you talking about?" he asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Don't give me that, 'I'm innocent and clueless' act. I've seen the way you look at her, the way you look out for her. So what happened?" He looked at the ground.

"She loves Arthur. I could never replace him in her heart, and I don't want to. She deserves happiness even if it's not with me." I was starting to feel a little guilty about bringing the subject up.

"I'm sorry, I didn't -"

He cut me off. "It's fine. I accepted it a long time ago. Besides, she will make a most splendid queen, won't she?"

"Yes, she will," I agreed. Together we watched the woman in question laugh at something her brother said. She pet the little marten in her arms, who was already quite attached to the future queen.

"She seems much happier than she did in my dreams," I mused.

"That's most likely because you've miraculously returned to us. Gwen has lost many people in her life, including her father and best friend."

"Best friend?" I echoed.

"Gwen used to serve the Lady Morgana. They were practically inseparable. Morgana even risked her life to save Gwen when she was captured at one point. That was all before Morgana, well, you know." Morgana used to be friends with Gwen? She was actually a good, kind person? My head was still reeling when Lancelot spoke up again.

"You mentioned your dream when we were first reunited. Or rather, you shouted something about your dream of Arthur specifically." He sent me a sly grin, for which I punched his arm.

"I wasn't dreaming _about_ him," I muttered crossly. "He was there, but I dreamt about all of you."

"What did you see?" Lancelot asked curiously.

"It was pretty distressing actually. You were all camped out somewhere, and you were discussing what to do since Ha- I mean I was dead and Merlin was missing. You were the one who declared that finding Merlin was a priority. You said it's what I would have wanted. All of you seemed surprised when the Gwaine guy backed you up. Although now that I think of it, he looked almost dead before you brought up your plan. Why was he so much worse off than the rest of you?" There was an unreadable expression on my companion's face.

"You two were very… close," he said carefully, like he was hiding something. My brow furrowed.

"Meaning?" I prodded. He put his hands up.

"I'm not entirely sure what was going on between you two, but aside from Gwen it was Gwaine who was most torn up over your death." My eyes widened. Is that why he had been avoiding me ever since I arrived?

"Oh," I said in a small, guilty voice. Lancelot patted my shoulder comfortingly.

"If it's any consolation, you seem to have remembered Gwaine enough to name your travel companion after him." He nodded at the marten now perched atop Gwen's head, much to her dismay.

"I suppose…" I said. I didn't have time to say more as Percival and Leon dropped back to walk beside us. I smirked at the latter.

"Hey loser," I greeted leon. He playfully scowled at me.

"I was going easy on you since I didn't know if you were in fighting condition. Next time, I'll beat you for sure!" he boasted.

"Like you did when she challenged you as a knight from another kingdom?" Percival grunted. Leon flushed red.

"T-that was completely different!" he spluttered.

"Wait, I challenged you as a knight? When did this happen?" I asked eagerly. Lancelot and Percival exchanged glances.

"Would you like to tell the story, or shall I?" Lancelot asked innocently. Percival smirked.

"I will!" a voice cried. Elyan made his way over to us grinning from ear to ear.

"I love this story. The look on Leon's face when you revealed your identity… priceless," he cackled. By now even Gwen, Arthur and Gwaine were listening. Arthur was shaking his head and reminding us to keep walking. Poor Leon looked ready for the forest floor to swallow him up.

"So, you'd only been in Camelot for a couple of days, but of course you couldn't stay out of trouble even then. Somehow you found your way to the armory and…"

* * *

><p><em>I'm so bored<em>, Merlin thought. He gazed around his prison for the thousandth time, glancing at the numerous cracks in the walls (there were 476 - he counted three times) and at the plain black table where the glowing orb winked at him. _The boredom will kill me before they do_, he thought grumpily. He halfheartedly struggled against his bonds, but they were as strong as ever.

_I've been alone for days now. They wouldn't have left me unguarded, although there's not much I can do with these restraints, but still. Where could they have gone? _Merlin wondered._ And who the hell is Morgana's creepy new friend? She never uses his name, but his strength… He's never used magic around me but I can feel his immense power. _He shuddered._ If my friends come for me, I hope they have a truly powerful sorcerer on their side. We're going to need all the help we can get._


	19. Chapter 18: Miniature Disasters

**Disclaimer:** Refer to the first chapter regarding any and all Merlin characters, creatures, settings, etc. We also do not own the riddles in this chapter or their answers. All rights go to their owners.

**Chapter 18: Miniature Disasters**

_**GWAINE**_

It was on the fifth day of traveling that we ran into a little problem. Emphasis on _little_.

"What the hell are these things?!" Hale shrieked, battling away yet another wave of the small green humanoids. Her marten viciously chomped on a stray ear.

"Goblins, I believe," Lancelot panted. He swung his sword in a wide arc, sending a large amount of the little devils flying. They disappeared in the sea of their brethren advancing on us. The goblins swarmed in and around the trees, some even climbing and jumping off high branches. The green of their skin was hard to find among the trees and bushes surrounding us. They definitely used the abundance of shrubbery to their advantage. A few of them even turned into glowing balls of light and zipped around us. "Be careful, they are extraordinarily cunning."

"Why are they attacking us? I thought goblins were only motivated by gold!" I cried. A nearby goblin cackled and leapt at me.

"That man with the golden hair is the prince!" it rasped. "Princes have lots of gold!"

"Who sent you?" I demanded. Cold sweat ran down my back. How did they know who Arthur was? Were we being tracked?

"The lady Morgana sends her regards," the little imp sneered. It's cackle was cut off along with its head. I turned just in time to see Gwen whack a bunch of goblins with a branch. They went flying. That girl can really pack a wallop when she wants to. She's much stronger than she looks. Much like the only other female among us. My eyes strayed to the form of the woman I'd thought dead. Even pissed off, tired, and waving her sword wildly at a horde of goblins, she looked beautiful.

I must have dropped my guard for a moment because the next thing I knew, Arthur was roaring, "BEHIND YOU!" I whirled around to see one of the little lights zooming towards me. The golden glow filled my vision and I blacked out.

* * *

><p>When I came to, I found my sword pointed at Hale. I tried to lower my arm, but to my horror I couldn't move my body.<p>

_What's going on?_ I thought, panicked. I could do nothing as I advanced on the girl that had been plaguing my mind for weeks.

_I'm in control now_, a voice cackled in my head.

"Gwaine? Are you there? You need to snap out of it," Hale said, slowly backing away. Leaves crunched beneath her boots.

_I'm trying!_ I wanted to shout, but of course I couldn't control my mouth.

"Please snap out of it, Gwaine," she pleaded. "I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have!" _So she noticed_, I thought gloomily.

"Awww how sweet!" It was my voice, but not my words. I'm not sure who was more freaked out by this, myself or Hale. Her eyes instantly narrowed.

"Who are you? What have you done with Gwaine?" Oh boy, she's pissed. Against my will, a mocking laugh escaped my lips. She winced at the atrocious sound. I made a mental note never to make that noise ever again.

"He's still in here. You'll be pleased to know he's worried about you. But for now, I'm in charge!" I could feel myself grinning maniacally. And with a whoop, I launched myself at Hale. Our swords met with a loud _clang_, alerting the others to our battle.

"What the hell are you doing, Gwaine?" Leon shouted. "That's Hale you're attacking!"

"I know!" the goblin and I cried gleefully. "I bet her blood will look pretty painted on my sword!" I… well _it_ cackled again and jabbed at Hale. She parried with a growl and then bolted forward trying to land a punch. Leaves and dirt flew up in her wake.

_Silly girl_, the goblin thought. I grabbed Hale's wrist right before it made contact with my jaw, then twisted her arm to throw her off balance. As she was attempting to recover, I slammed my fist into her stomach and followed up with a roundhouse kick to send her flying, narrowly missing a bush. Horrified, I realized the goblin's magic must be amplifying my own strength. There's no way I could have done that before.

Fortunately, Hale's a tough girl and somehow managed to land on her feet. She twirled her sword, although how she had kept her hold on it I don't know, then leapt forward with a battle cry. I blocked her attack, but she was prepared and gracefully slid into a secondary assault. I had to knock her sword away with my bare hand for that one.

Hale's eyes narrowed at the blood trickling down my hand. That didn't stop her from lashing out, however. Again our swords met noisily.

"Gwaine stop!" Gwen cried. _Believe me, I am trying._

Hale grunted from the impact of another sword strike. She threw my sword off then quickly danced out of the way as my sword came crashing down where she had been a moment before.

_Why can't I do anything?_ I mentally shouted, furious with myself. _If any of my blows connect, they could be fatal! And I can't do a damn thing about it!_

_Right you are, sonny_, the goblin jeered. _How's it feel to know the woman you love will die by your blade?_

_YOU SON OF A -_ My internal argument was interrupted by Hale materializing behind me and delivering a solid kick to my back. I stumbled forward and spun around to face her, but she wasn't there.

_Where did she go?_ I asked myself. I turned around in circles and scanned the my friends. _She can't have just -_

A twig snapped. I barely ducked out of the way in time to miss her sword slicing through the air near my arm. She cursed and leapt back to avoid my answering attack.

We spent a solid five minutes exchanging fast, furious blows, neither combatant able to land a solid hit. Dirt, twigs, and colorful curses (courtesy of Hale) flew through the air. Then she aimed to strike my side.

_Foolish girl left herself wide open_, the goblin thought in glee. I brought my sword arm up to slice across her back, but Hale was faster. She dropped into a crouch and kicked my legs out from under me. As I fell, she knocked my sword out of my hand.

My sword flew through the air while the point of Hale's ended up under my chin. When I gulped, I could feel the sharp blade digging into my skin. Dimly I heard my sword crash into the shrubs.

"I'm sorry," she whispered before knocking me out.

* * *

><p>When I woke for the second time, I realized my body was tied to a tree. I struggled in vain against the ropes but only succeeded in giving myself rope burn. Even worse, I could still hear the goblin in my head.<p>

"What do we do?" I heard Leon ask. My head turned to see my friends watching me warily. The area was goblin-free, so I assumed my friends either finished them off or scared them away. The goblin forced my lips into a grotesque grin.

"There ain't nothing you can do. The only way to get rid of me is if I leave of my own free will, which won't happen, or if you force me out. And the only way to do _that_," I licked my lips. "Is to kill my host." Everyone's faces paled.

"Liar!" Elyan cried. I pouted.

"How cruel. I've very generously provided a solution to your problem and you call me a liar. Shame on you," it chastised. Elyan growled and made to step forward but Percival held him back.

"Remember, Gwaine is still at his mercy," Percival murmured. Elyan turned away with a huff but ceased struggling.

Arthur approached me threateningly. "Release him. Now," he boomed.

I rolled my eyes.

"You royals really don't know how to listen, do you? I told you I ain't leavin' this body for nothing!" While I mentally cringed at the realization that _I just rolled my eyes at and talked back to the future king_, Hale stepped forward.

"You won't leave for anything, huh? What about gold?" I could tell the goblin's interest was piqued.

"Gold, you say?" I asked. "How much are we talking about?"

"A kingdom's worth," she said with a straight face. Leon's jaw dropped and Gwen gasped. Arthur blinked then blurted, "I hope you aren't referring to Camelot's riches. Not only would my father disapprove but we don't exactly have access to them here."

"I wasn't talking about Camelot," Hale said calmly. "I was referring to Actica's riches. I am its princess, after all." _Hale don't!_ I wanted to cry but the goblin was still in control.

"You'd be willing to give up all your riches for this pathetic slob?" I questioned. "And besides, even if you were crazy enough to do that, I can't collect payment. We aren't anywhere near Actica right now. So how're you going to get the goods to me?"

"I'm not just going to hand my kingdom's riches over to you. You've got to earn them." Earn them? What is she up to?

"I propose a bet," Hale announced. The goblin grinned.

"I'm listening. What did you have in mind, girly?"

"You goblins are creatures of mischief, yes? Then you must be fairly cunning. If you can answer five riddles within half an hour, you win," she said without betraying any emotion.

"Really now? Sounds intriguing. Well what are the stakes, then?" The greed was evident in my voice.

"If I win, you leave Gwaine's body and your kind never bother us, Actica, Camelot, or their people again. If you win, you get to keep all of Actica's riches along with Gwaine's body." _What?!_ I screamed mentally. The others had the same question written all over their faces.

"You've got a deal, girl," I said happily. Well, the goblin was happy anyway.

_There's no way the wench will win this bet,_ it thought greedily. _We goblins are cunning beyond belief! The riches and your body are as good as mine!_

"But before we start," Hale said. "We're going to make a magical, binding contract. That way we can be sure the loser will follow through with the conditions. You may do the honors."

Has she lost her mind? Alas, I couldn't do anything to stop it. The goblin muttered some sort of spell and the deed was done. I could only pray Hale knew what she was doing.

"It is done," I announced. "Now give me the riddles."

"You have three guesses," Hale warned. "That means you have to answer all five at the same time, which counts as one guess." She took a deep breath and recited the riddles.

"The beginning of eternity,

The end of time and space,

The beginning of every end,

And the end of every place.

There was a green house,

Inside the green house there was a white house,

Inside the white house there was a red house,

Inside the red house there were lots of babies.

Runs over fields and woods all day,

Under the bed at night sits not alone,

With long tongue hanging out,

A-waiting for a bone.

At night they come without being fetched,

And by day they are lost without being stolen.

I never was, am always to be,

No one ever saw me, nor ever will

And yet I am the confidence of all

To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball."

My lips curved into a smug grin.

"The first is easy. The answer is the letter E. The second is quite simple too, any fool could figure it out. It's watermelon. The third… hmm, sounds like a dog, but that's too obvious. I wonder…" I continued to mutter to myself while my friends held their breath in anticipation. Hale's face remained impassive.

"All right, girl, I've decided," I said finally. "The answer to the first riddle is the letter E. That one was obvious. The answer to the second is watermelon. The third… it must be shoe. The fourth is fears and the fifth is magic." I puffed out my chest proudly.

"You're wrong." My companions sighed in relief as my mouth fell open.

_Impossible!_ the goblin cried in my head.

"The answer to the first three were correct. However, your last two answers weren't. You have two more tries and seventeen minutes." I could feel the goblin scrambling for the answers in my head.

After another ten minutes I uttered, "F-fine! The fourth is dreams and the fifth is air!" When Hale shook her head the goblin screamed in rage. Mentally, of course. It went back to muttering.

"Two minutes," Hale announced. The goblin started panicking and cried, "The fourth is stars and the fifth is time!" Hale grinned evilly.

"Nope. Sorry. You were right about the fourth riddle but the fifth was incorrect. If it makes you feel any better, you were close. I always got that one wrong as a child. The answer was tomorrow. Ironic really, since yours won't be very happy," she said with a carefree shrug.

"NOOOOO!" the goblin shrieked as it was forced out of my body. The creature flew through the air and landed in a ditch several yards away. Meanwhile, I fell forward with a gasp. Hale helped me up.

"Thanks," I managed, looking her in the eye for the first time since she returned. She smiled.

"No problem. That's what friends are for, right?" _Friends_. The word chipped away at my already wounded heart. She really didn't remember us, did she?

"Now that that's over," Arthur spoke up suddenly. "Shall we be on our way?"


	20. Chapter 19: Dangerous Desires

**Chapter 19: Dangerous Desires**

_**LANCELOT**_

After the goblin incident, we traveled in relative peace until we reached the village Arthur spoke of. The village folk led quiet, but peaceful lives. We were stunned since Cairon's reign of terror had turned the land upside down, but they soon explained why they were left virtually untouched.

"The forest protects us," an old man told us. "It's enchanted, see? We villagers have an agreement of sorts with the forest. We leave it alone for the most part, 'cept when we really need wood or game, and it leaves us alone. Not a bad trade-off, I'd say." We exchanged uneasy glances.

"So you haven't ventured far into the forest, then?" Arthur asked. The old man shook his head.

"We only go when it's absolutely necessary, and even then we don't go beyond where we can see the treeline. Why do you ask?"

"We need to travel through the forest in order to get to Camelot," the prince replied gravely. The man's face paled.

"Y-you want to go through the forest?" he cried. "That's suicidal! Traveling through an ordinary forest would be a difficult, but an enchanted forest? Even in the woods near here there have been sightings of strange beasts and stories of eerie noises. I can't even begin to imagine what's in the middle!"

"We have no choice. We must go. Could you spare us some provisions to last us a fortnight?" The old man eyed our ragtag group warily, but relented with a sigh.

"If you're so determined to meet an early end, it's not my place to stop you," he said with finality. "Just don't go messing things up for our village, will you?"

* * *

><p>After receiving our supplies, we set off into the forest. The villagers gathered to watch our departure with trepidation. None spoke, and the unnatural silence set everyone on edge.<p>

"Cheerful lot those villagers were," Gwaine muttered. He'd been down ever since the goblin possessed him.

"Stay alert and stay close," Arthur warned. "We don't know what's out here, so we can't afford to be separated." Everyone nodded their assent and we began our long trek through the forest.

We walked for what must have been hours. The forest darkened ominously and a faint, wispy mist began to settle around us. Although the mist was thin, we still huddled closer together in case it thickened and we lost sight of each other. How true that prediction was.

"Guys?" Hale called. I turned back to see her rubbing her arms.

"What is it, Hale?" Arthur called from the front.

"Are any of you getting a bad feeling about this mist?" she called back.

"Aside from the damp? No, why?"

Hale shivered. "The mist… it feels almost alive." Everyone stopped dead in their tracks.

"It's mist, Hale. It can't be alive," Arthur reasoned. She shook her head.

"I know it sounds crazy but there's something wrong." She glanced around nervously. "We need to get out of here."

"And go where?" Arthur asked in exasperation. "We're in the middle of the forest Hale! I think you're simply overreacting." Hale frowned but kept quiet. I on the other hand was still uneasy. The rest of us may not feel threatened, but Hale was a creature of magic. Perhaps she was sensing something the rest of us could not.

We continued walking for a few more miles before we entered a glade.

"Let's set up camp here for the night," Arthur commanded. But just as everyone dispersed, the mist suddenly thickened. Cries of alarm echoed around the clearing as I quickly lost sight of my companions. Within moments, even their cries faded. I was completely alone.

I drew my sword and held it out in front of me threateningly. I was so tense, even the slightest movement had me lashing out.

"Lancelot?" a voice called. I spun in the direction the cry came from.

"Who's there?" I growled. My sword remained in front of me as a figure approached. The mist obscured their form until they were a few feet from me. Then the mist parted to reveal none other than Gwen.

"Gwen?" I asked, lowering my weapon. She beamed and launched herself at me, knocking us both over.

"Oomph!" The wind was knocked out of me.

"Lancelot!" she cried happily. "I found you!" She wrapped her arms tighter around my neck and laughed.

"Y-yes you did?" I stuttered, completely thrown by her affectionate behavior. My heart started beating faster and my face heated at our rather compromising position. I gently pushed her off me and she sat back with wide, innocent eyes.

"What of the others?" I asked. Gwen shrugged.

"I haven't seen them. Please excuse my enthusiasm earlier, I was so worried. You're the first person I've found," she explained. Her beautiful face was creased in worry.

"Don't worry about it," I said despite my pounding heart. I stood and offered her a hand. "Shall we look for the rest of our friends?" She smiled and took my hand.

"You always know exactly what to do, Lancelot. I'd be lost without you," she chirped. My cheeks, which had just started to cool down, flamed again at her words. What was wrong with me? I was so distracted I didn't realize she hadn't let go of my hand.

"You don't mind my forwardness, do you? I just think it's wiser to remain in contact at all times with this heavy fog."

"What?" I uttered intelligently. She raised our entwined hands for emphasis. "Oh. That. Uh, no problem. That makes sense." My speech wasn't, however. Gwen didn't seem to notice, or mind.

"We'd best be off then. Who knows how far the others wandered?" She dragged me back in the direction from which she'd come. I was too dazed to do anything about it. A small voice in the back of my head noted that Gwen was acting strange, but all I could focus on was our intertwined hands.

"Hurry up, Lancelot! Don't be a slowpoke!" she said cheerfully.

"S-sorry." Why couldn't I stop stuttering?

We wandered around the clearing, but we couldn't even find the forest itself. I suspected we were running around in circles, but I didn't want to discourage Gwen.

"We're just going in circles, aren't we?" I'd forgotten to factor in her intelligence.

"Unfortunately, it seems to be that way," I said wearily. By then I'd become accustomed to her hand in mine. It felt… nice.

_I never want to let go._ I jolted as the thought crossed my mind, and I realized it was true. That scared me.

"Are we going to be trapped here forever?" Gwen asked, her worried eyes boring into mine. I gulped and looked away.

"Have faith. We will find a way out," I said as confidently as I could. She frowned but didn't say anything. After while, she cleared her throat.

"Well, if I'm being completely honest, Lancelot," she murmured shyly. "There's no one I'd rather be trapped forever with." My mind and body came to a screeching halt. What did she just say?

"W-what?" I squeaked. Part of me cringed at the pathetic sound but the larger portion was focused on Gwen's next words.

"You heard me," she muttered, a pretty blush staining her cheeks.

"But what about Arthur?" I blurted. She fidgeted nervously.

"I… I did love Arthur once. Part of me still does, but…" She bit her lip. "My feelings have changed. I don't love him the way I used to. But you're different, Lancelot. You've always been there for me and I can never repay your kindness. I-I completely understand if you don't feel the same way I do, after all you deserve far better than me…" What was she talking about? Gwen deserved the world. If anything, I was the unworthy one.

"But I wanted you to know how I felt. That's all," she finished hurriedly. Her face was turned to the ground.

Was I dreaming? I hadn't realized how badly I craved Gwen's love until she was professing it to me. The small voice from before warned me that something was wrong, but I ignored it in favor of tilting Gwen's face up.

"You worry for nothing," I murmured. Her eyes were wide and the blush was still there. "I will never love another like I love you." Gwen smiled sweetly at me and leaned forward.

"Clarity!" a voice cried suddenly. "Reveal thyself in thy true form!"

The woman before me suddenly dissolved into mist, which slunk back like a scared cat. I blinked and shook my head, disoriented from the sudden change. The rest of my companions were scattered around the glade, just as dazed as I was. And there before us stood the blind Druid woman we met before. She sensed my eyes on her and turned to me with a smile.

"Follow me. I will lead you out of this mess." She turned on her heel and started off into the forest. Everyone turned to Arthur, who sighed and followed the faded purple robes of the Druid woman. We fell into line after him, each absorbed in our own thoughts about what just transpired.


	21. Chapter 20: Lost and Found

**Chapter 20: Lost and Found**

_**HALE**_

"You're lucky we happened to pass by. Otherwise you would have been trapped in a dream about your deepest desires forever," the Druid woman said. Lancelot informed me on the way that she was a blind seer. To be honest, I was a little worried about him. He was really out of it. But I quickly put it to the back of my mind. Even calm people like Lancelot could be rattled sometimes. And if he had been through anything like what I had, then he had every right to be disoriented.

"Rest here for the night," the Druid seer said kindly. I studied the small camp with interest. A little boy and girl looked up at our entrance, before the girl squealed and flung herself at Gwen.

"My lady, you're back!" she screamed. Gwen, caught by surprise, toppled over along with the little girl. She reminded me of Isolde, and my heart ached with joy, and sadness at the same time. The tension from the day finally broke and I burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"I see you've gained a fan while I was gone," I teased the future queen lying on the ground. She uncharacteristically stuck her tongue out at me. Apparently everyone was so wiped out all of our filters stopped working. The little girl cocked her head curiously.

"Who're you?" she asked. I smiled and knelt down to her height.

"My name is Hale," I said warmly. I showed her Gwaine. "And this is Gwaine, my marten. We're friends."

"You are much more than that," the blind woman said. My head snapped up to meet her gaze. Lancelot was right; although she was blind, her eyes were piercing. I stood.

"They tell me you are a seer," I stated. She inclined her head.

"I have a few questions that need answers. Can you help me?" I asked. She smiled.

"I can try. But remember, I cannot control what I see and what I do not. However, I do believe I know what you're going to ask me about," the seer said. Suddenly, she turned me around and touched my back.

"This mark… you wish to know what it means, yes?" I nodded dumbly. My friends looked up in surprise.

"Mark? What's she talking about, Hale?" Gwen asked. Sending a shocked glance to the seer, I told my friends of the mark I'd discovered on my back in the glade.

* * *

><p><em>The mist was everywhere. I could make out vague shapes in the gloom but as soon I got close they swirled and morphed into something else. The worst part was that I was alone. Even my faithful marten had vanished. Where had all my companions gone?<em>

_"Hello?" I called. "Lancelot? Gwaine? Arthur? Anybody?" Silence. I groaned and stamped my foot in frustration. Upon doing so, I realized I could feel grass tickling my feet. Last time I checked, I was wearing boots._

_I looked down and shrieked when I realized I was completely naked. My echoing cry pierced the oppressive silence around me and I scrambled to cover myself up as best as I could. Which in hindsight was probably pointless since no one else was around._

_"What the hell?" I cried. Again my voice echoed around the space, wherever it was. Then I realized that my voice wasn't echoing. It was being repeated._

_I slowly looked up to see myself, naked as the day I was born standing directly in front of me. I leapt back with a yelp._

_"W-who are you? You can't be me, because I'm me and I'm right here. So who are you?" My reflection merely smiled and started walking away. On her back, I noticed a simple wheel shape that faintly glowed as if made of silver._

_"Hey, where are you going?" I called. The other me stopped and turned back._

_"Don't you want to know who you are?" she called. I shivered as my voice issued from her mouth. But I toughened up and nodded. The reflection grinned and beckoned me forward._

_"Then follow me. I believe it is time we took a little trip down memory lane." She started walking into the mist, her form quickly melting into the swirls of gray. I realized I had two choices. Either I follow myself, or I stay here for who knows how long. Gulping, I plunged into the mist after the phantom reflection._

* * *

><p>"And that's how I found the mark. But how did you know about it?" I addressed the blind seer.<p>

"You are one of three. That mark is proof that your life belongs to the Lady in White."

I shifted uneasily. The fact that my life "belongs" to someone else didn't sit well with me. Arthur groaned.

"Not this 'white lady' nonsense again." Gwen elbowed him harshly, then asked calmly, "Who is this White Lady?"

"A powerful goddess. She has been charged with watching over these lands."

My life belonged to the goddess in charge of these lands? That didn't sound so bad. "However," the seer continued. "That does not necessarily mean she is responsible for protecting it. Your life is hers to do with as she sees fit. And the White Lady is not always the most benevolent soul." There went my optimism.

"But in the grand scheme of things, that is unimportant at the moment. What's truly concerning is Cairon's whereabouts, yes?"

Although a little miffed she considered my life unimportant, I nodded anyway.

"I cannot tell you exactly where he is, but you might be able to."

Me? How was that possible?

"Explain," Arthur said tersely.

"You have had visions in the past about those close to you, yes? While you and Cairon are not close, you do share a bond in blood. I can provide you with a potion to enhance your magical awareness, which may allow you to direct your visions to an extent. However, I do not know how the potion will affect you in any other way."

"I'll do it." I was a little apprehensive but we needed all the help we could get.

"Now wait a moment, I think we should talk this out first -" Lancelot began but I cut him off.

"No. We need to act now and if this is our best shot of finding that bastard, I'm sure as hell going to take it." I turned to the seer. "When do I take it?"

"Now," she replied. She asked the little boy to fetch the potion for us and he brought it over in no time. She uncorked the bottle of muddy green liquid and held it out to me.

"Take one sip and no more. Otherwise you may find yourself trapped in visions for the rest of your life." Well that's comforting. I eyed the sludge warily before taking a tiny sip. My body stiffened as my vision blurred. The colors swirled around so fast I became dizzy, before everything settled and I saw a very different scene.

* * *

><p><em>A man stood before a tall glass window with his back to me. A crown perched atop a head of midnight black hair and his robes were rich and ornate. While his stance was quite regal, there was something about him that told me he wasn't a true king. I curiously walked up to stand beside him, then caught a glimpse of his face.<em>

_"YOU!" I roared furiously. It was my uncle, Cairon, the murderous tyrant that was trying to turn Albion into a living hell. Shaking with rage, I strode up to him and attempted to slap him silly, but my hand passed right through him. Right, I wasn't truly there. Snarling at the bane of my existence, I turned my attention to the window._

_The windows were large enough that I could see the regal mountains in the distance. Other than that, there were no landmarks to be found. Yet, those mountains seemed familiar. Where had I seen them before?_

_I'd just figured it out when my vision blurred and the scene before my eyes swirled into nothingness._

* * *

><p>Although brief, the vision gave me exactly what I needed. As soon as the world stopped spinning and I was facing my anxious friends again, I leapt to my feet and shouted, "I know where he is!"<p>

"What?" everyone cried. Before I could reply, I swayed and would have fallen over if Gwaine hadn't caught me. I guess jumping up right after a potion-induced sleep wasn't a great idea.

"H-he's in Actica," I gasped. "I could see the mountains in the distance - I recognized them from visions I had in the past."

"Excellent! Once we arrive in Camelot, we can focus on gathering an army. Hopefully Cairon will stay put until then," Arthur said in relief. "We'll leave tomorrow morning."

"So soon?" the little girl in Gwen's lap whimpered. I'd almost forgotten about her.

"Sorry kid. The world can't exactly wait to be saved," Elyan joked. Everyone groaned.

"Just shut up, Elyan," Gwaine said, smacking his head with one arm. The other was still wrapped around my waist, supporting me. Embarrassed, I jumped out of his arms.

"Y-you didn't have to do that," I muttered without making eye contact.

"You nearly collapsed. What was I supposed to do?" Gwaine responded. I shrugged.

"Thanks anyway," I whispered.

Lancelot was giving me strange looks but I pointedly ignored him. I knew I was acting weird, but I couldn't help it. I hadn't told the others the complete story of what happened to me in that glade.

* * *

><p><em>I followed my doppelganger into the mist and soon found myself in a bustling bar. I gasped and frantically looked for somewhere to hide before someone saw me naked. I shouldn't have bothered as I fell through the wall and out the door. I wasn't really here, wherever here was.<em>

_Curious, I walked back through the wall and giggled when I ended up on the other side. I was like a ghost now. Now that I had calmed down, I took in my surroundings._

_The bar was packed with laughing, rowdy men and servers expertly balancing trays of food while dodging grubby hands. For some reason, this place felt familiar. One table in particular caught my eye, way in the back corner. A man - a blacksmith judging by his build and various scorch marks - sat chugging a mug of beer. A small girl with curly dark hair sat at his side. Upon closer inspection, I realized the girl was me._

_Gaping, I failed to notice the third occupant of the table until he started speaking. He was clearly drunk and his speech was heavily slurred. The man my younger self sat next to was also drunk. He shouted something at the stranger, who shouted back just as loudly. After a few moments of listening, I discovered the stranger was a traveler from the West and the two men were arguing about Uther's sanity. The debate might have been entertaining if I wasn't so confused. Was that man my father?_

_Now that I knew I was reliving a memory of sorts, I was both eager and apprehensive about seeing how this all played out. I was nervous about the feeling of foreboding I had, and I wanted to tell the man and my younger self to leave. Something bad was going to happen, I could feel it._

_My fears were confirmed when the two men starting hitting each other. Their brawl attracted the attention of the rest of the pub, who eagerly cheered them on. A man in the opposite corner was hit with a flying chair, and with a roar he leapt into the fray. Soon the entire pub had dissolved into chaos. I was freaked out by this, but my younger self simply propped her head on her land like she was bored. I guess this must have been a regular occurrence._

_Then I sniffed the air. Smoke? There was a fire burning, but that was way too much smoke for one measly fireplace. I turned to the fireplace and to my horror, the flames were creeping out of their confinement. How had that happened? I looked closer and realized some alcohol had been spilled a little too close to the hungry flames. My sense of foreboding reached an all time high._

_"Look out!" I screamed. "The fire's spreading! Get out of here!" But of course, no one heard me because technically, I don't exist here. I could only watch in stupefied horror as the entire pub began to burn. The screams of the victims could barely be heard over the roaring of the flames. The smoke and heat didn't affect me, so I was able to see a figure haul my younger self over their shoulder and sprint out of the burning building._

_Still numb, I followed the figure to a hill that overlooked the whole valley. Now I could tell it was a young boy, probably not that much older than I was at the time. For some reason, my younger self kicked her savior in the groin and started running. The boy groaned but followed me anyway._

_Heart in my throat, I followed the children until the boy caught up and managed to lift little me into his arms. Even from where I stood, I could see the hopeless expression on my younger face. That man really must have been my father then. And since I did not see a woman with him, she must be dead too. This was the night I became an orphan._

_The boy carried my little self back to the top of the hill. They both collapsed on the ground with tear stained faces and talked in low, hushed voices so I couldn't hear what they were saying. I assumed the boy lost someone to the fire as well. Then they sat and silently watched their families burn._

_And now that he was turned towards the flames, I caught a glimpse of the boy's face. I gasped when the flickering orange lights illuminated the boyish face of one Sir Gwaine._

_I was still frozen at the revelation when my younger self tugged little Gwaine down the hill and to what I assumed was her house. I was half aware of her bandaging him up and offering him tea, before the boy fell asleep in the bed._

_I shuffled forward to get a good look at his face, but before I could my surroundings dissolved into mist and then reformed into an entirely different scene. It appeared to be a scene from a couple years after the fire. Gwaine and I were sword fighting in front of the house. We were both dirty and sweaty from a long workout. I guess Gwaine decided to stay with me, or rather just never left. Soon, my younger self had him trapped against a fence and forced him to surrender. I couldn't suppress a smirk at that. I was still quite good even then, eh?_

_I watched as the two walked into the house, laughing and chatting like old friends. Little me made porridge for lunch and they ate in relative silence. After gulping down the meal, Gwaine proposed a post-lunch walk. I saw my younger self agree way too quickly and blush when the boy laughed at her. He offered her an arm, which she gladly accepted and they set off._

_It wasn't a particularly nice day to take a walk. It was very chilly, and the dark clouds promised heavy rain. But that didn't stop my younger self from smiling like she didn't have a care in the world. She even rubbed her cheek at one point to sooth the smarting._

_Young Gwaine wasn't making it any easier to stop smiling. When the pair passed a black and purple Auricula flower, he plucked it out of the ground and placed it behind her ear. Both my younger self and I blushed at the sweet gesture. Who knew Gwaine could be such a gentleman?_

_Suddenly, there was a rustle from within the forest. At first I thought it might just be a small animal, but then the rustling happened again, and this time I saw not one but two pairs of eyes looking back at us. And they looked like human eyes. Gwaine and my younger self stopped, looked at each other, and then ran as two huge men wearing bounty hunter belts full of weapons jumped out._

_The pair held hands and raced back to the village with me close at their heels. It must have been midday because the market was in full swing when we came barreling through. They ran through the market stalls, hurtling through crates of vegetables and chickens. I simply ran in a straight line and literally through everything in my path. The bounty hunters were causing mayhem and probably destroying everything in their way._

_Young Gwaine and my younger self turned a corner; there was a cluster of homes right next to each other. They ran behind a house and flattened themselves to the wall, waiting to hear if the bounty hunters had left. Their pounding footsteps weren't hard to miss. They didn't walk, but they stopped close to where the two were pressed against the wall. I could see both children holding their breath before letting it out when the footsteps died away._

_"Let's go back home, we'll be safe there," my younger self said. Young Gwaine just looked at her with concern and dragged her back to the house. As soon as they walked through the door, he let go of her hand - which he had been holding on to the whole time - like it was a live coal. He frantically looked through all of the cabinets until he found a small leather bag. Both my younger self and I just stood there numbly as we watched him panic. "What is going on?"_

_"I don't have time to explain, but I have to leave."_

_"Leave? Where to?"_

_"Anywhere but here," he replied firmly._

_"But why?" Little me looked at him with pleading eyes as he stopped panicking for a moment._

_"I have to protect you from those men. If they find out that I'm here with you, they'll kill you along with me."_

_"But you can't leave!" she cried. She sounded desperate, and my heart panged with familiar panic. He walked to her and pulled off a necklace from around his neck. It was made out of twine. At the end was a dark, round, crystal-like stone. A thin thread was wrapped around it. On the thread were two small green and black crystals. Inside was a shimmering golden leaf. My eyes widened. That was…_

_"This was my mother's," he said quietly. "Wear this and it will remind you of me wherever you go."_

_"Please don't go," my younger self begged one more time._

_"I will try to lead them off towards the mountains. Once I see that they are nowhere near this village, I will come back for you, and if I don't then we will meet again. I promise." Young Gwaine kissed my younger self's hand then flew out the door, taking my heart with him. I fell to my knees as the house dissolved into mist and I was alone in the clearing once more._

* * *

><p>I was literally shaken from my memories by the present day Gwaine.<p>

"Hale? Hale! What's wrong?" he cried frantically, still grasping my shoulders. Seeing him so close to me after seeing him when we were younger startled me.

"Gah!" I stumbled and fell back onto my arse. My wide eyed expression must have been hilarious because the next thing I knew, Gwaine was doubled over in laughter.

"W-what was tha-at?" he gasped. I pouted.

"You startled me, is all," I grumbled. Wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, he grinned and offered me a hand up. I vaguely registered taking it and standing but the majority of my brain was focused on his grin. I realized that I hadn't seen him smile since we were "reunited." He was quite handsome when he was happy.

"Enough flirting you two. Help us out here," Leon called. My cheeks flamed red and I bustled over to where he was tending to the fire. Gwaine and I refused to look at each other for the rest of the night.


	22. Chapter 21: Return to Camelot

**Chapter 21: Return to Camelot**

_**GWAINE**_

As we prepared to leave the next morning, the seer approached Arthur one last time.

"What's this?" Arthur asked, fiddling with the charm she gave him.

"This war concerns all of us, and we cannot afford to hide in the shadows much longer. If you ever need help, use this to call us," she said simply. The prince raised an eyebrow.

"Does it require magic?" he asked skeptically. The woman merely smiled. Arthur grumbled in disapproval.

"Hey Hale," he called. "Catch!" He tossed the charm to her. She caught it and gave him a quizzical look.

"A messenger of sorts for the Druids. Needs magic to use. You're in charge of it now," he said. Hale examined the charm then stuck it in her pocket.

"Everyone ready?" Arthur called. We all nodded then set off, Gwen's little friend waving and cheering us on.

"She is a brave girl to have so much faith in us, and to still be smiling even with everything that's going on," Lancelot commented.

"That she is," I agreed, but my eyes were on Hale instead of the little girl. This didn't go unnoticed by Lancelot.

"Are you going to tell her?" he asked abruptly. I turned to him in surprise.

"Tell her what?" I feigned innocence.

"Your feelings," he said simply. I looked down.

"Actually, about that…" I trailed off, unsure if I should continue. But glancing at the understanding look on Lancelot's face, I decided to go for it. I made sure Hale wasn't within earshot before I started talking.

"When we were in that glade, I saw things. Things I never thought I'd see…"

* * *

><p><em>What the hell was going on? One minute we're getting ready to set up camp and the next that mist basically attacked us!<em>

_I lost track of my companions within seconds. Even their yells of shock were swallowed by the thick fog. I took a deep breath._

_"OI! Anybody there?" I bellowed. No response, but then again I wasn't really expecting one. We'd been very effectively separated._

_"Perfect," I grumbled, childishly kicking the ground. "Now what?"_

_I was too agitated to stay in one place, so I started wandering. I wasn't sure what I was thinking. Was I hoping if I walked long enough I'd run into someone?_

_Suddenly, a giggle echoed from behind me. Turning in shock, I caught a glimpse of Hale smirking cheekily at me a few yards away._

_"Hale! Thank God, I thought I was alone," I sighed in relief. I strode towards her but she danced back and giggled again. I stopped, puzzled._

_"What are you doing?" I asked. She laughed and twirled. What's wrong with her?_

_"Catch me if you can!" she cried abruptly. Then she turned and raced into the mist. I froze for a minute, flabbergasted._

_"What the…? Hale we don't have time for this!" I shouted, charging after her. A breathy laugh was my only response._

_I chased her all around the clearing, and it must have been in circles because we never once encountered trees. Her breathing was even and she did not seem to have broken a sweat. I on the other hand was all heavy footfalls and sweat. Where on earth did she get so much energy?_

_She jumped and flipped gracefully at random intervals. At one point she even snuck up beside me and kissed my cheek. That turned my already red face an interesting shade of purple. Even though my annoyance with her carefree attitude was growing, a part of me grudgingly admired her beauty._

_"H-Hale!" I finally managed to force out between pants. "Stop!" The girl in question landed lightly after a particularly high jump. She tilted her head quizzically._

_"Why?" She pleaded._

_Are you kidding me?_

_"Because we need to focus and find the others!" I cried in utter exasperation. "They could be in danger, Hale!" She waved at me dismissively._

_"What are you talking about? You worry too much. You're no fun anymore, Gwaine," she informed me. "You used to be so carefree and charismatic. What happened to the boy I lived with for so long? The one I fell in love with?" I staggered back as if I'd been slapped._

_"H-huh?" I stuttered intelligently. She tsked and crossed her arms over her chest._

_"You heard me." Her face softened at my disbelieving expression. "Please come home, Gwaine. I'd be lonely in that house by myself." That's about when my mind shut down and my legs collapsed beneath me. What was she talking about?_

_"You idiot," Hale said affectionately, helping me up. She continued to hold my hand even after I stood. "Even though I haven't seen you drink today, you still act like you're drunk. But you really need to lay off the mead. It's disgusting." She continued to chatter on as if we were back in her home, far away from this war. I stopped listening to her words and just listened to her voice, memorizing the different expressions that crossed her face. Then our surroundings shifted._

_I tore my eyes away from her face to find we were actually back in her house about ten years ago. Blinking, I gently untangled my hand from hers and stepped away. The bed was still sitting in the corner, unmade. The cupboards were open and the contents scattered around. It looked exactly as it did when I left that day long ago._

_"We're back?" I wondered softly. Soft hands cupped my face and turned my head._

_"What do you mean we're back? We never left. Well, you did but I dragged you back here because you were spouting some nonsense about trying to protect me. Silly boy, I can take care of myself. Who wins the majority of our sparring sessions, hmm?" Hale patted my cheeks, but I caught her hands before she could move._

_"What about the others?" I asked. __She raised an eyebrow._

_"Others? What are you talking about? We've always lived alone here, Gwaine."_

_"But Arthur, and Cairon and Merlin and…" I spluttered. She silenced me by leaning up to plant a kiss on the corner of my mouth. Time seemed to freeze, as did I._

_"Shhh," she murmured. "I knew all that alcohol would affect you eventually. Come now, you've had a long, stressful day. You need rest. And don't even think about leaving in the morning, mister." She led me by the hand to the bed and pushed me back. I fell numbly, still in shock over everything. I nearly missed when she tucked me in and kissed my forehead._

_"Goodnight, Gwaine," she whispered. My hand shot out and grabbed hers before she left._

_"Wait," I croaked. "Seriously Hale, what's going on?" She regarded me with concern and opened her mouth to speak._

_Suddenly, a woman's voice shattered the serenity of the cottage. She shouted something I couldn't make out. I met Hale's eyes just as she dissolved into mist along with the house. I fell flat on my back and lay there, staring at the sky with a hollow feeling in my chest._

* * *

><p>As I finished telling my story, I couldn't meet Lancelot's eyes. What would he think of me now?<p>

"You really love her, don't you?" My head whipped up at his response. He smiled faintly.

"I understand. You wish you could go back to when things were simple, but you fear she won't remember the history you share. You're afraid that your love will be unrequited. Believe me, I know," he said sadly. "But do not worry. I'm sure her feelings are still there, just buried deep down along with her memories."

"But if she can't remember loving me, then doesn't that mean her love wasn't strong to begin with?" I whispered. Lancelot shook his head.

"Not necessarily. Remember, Hale died and then was resurrected. That takes powerful dark magic and I'm sure the process disoriented her quite a bit."

I immediately felt ashamed for thinking of my own selfish needs instead of what Hale must have gone through. Lancelot patted my shoulder.

"Fear not. Everything will work out in time. And even if she does not love you now, she can learn to love you again, yes?" My lips quirked up in a small smile.

"You know Lancelot? I can see why Merlin decided to confide in you." The shocked expression on his face made me chuckle. "You didn't honestly believe we're still angry about that, did you? Okay, maybe Arthur is still a bit upset but that's because he's a Pendragon. Can't really hold it against him. The rest of us understand why you kept his secret, though." Lancelot smiled at me in relief.

"I'm glad to hear it, my friend," he said warmly. We shared a laugh and continued walking.

* * *

><p>The rest of our journey passed without incident. When we finally caught a glimpse of the citadel's towers, a collective cheer rose from us all.<p>

"Come on, slowpokes, faster! We're almost there!" Hale cried excitedly. She sprinted ahead seemingly without realizing - or caring - that she was the only one who didn't know the way. I couldn't help smiling at her enthusiasm.

"You heard the lady. Hurry it up back there!" Arthur shouted with a broad grin on his face. Even the usually grumpy prince looked excited to be going home. We cheered again and quickened our pace. At this rate, we'd be in the castle by nightfall.

* * *

><p>As expected, our return was greeted with shock, gratitude and unbridled happiness. The king was so delighted he immediately called for a celebration to welcome us home. Despite their protests, the two women were whisked away by some overly happy servants. The rest of us were left snickering at the panic on Hale's face, but that died away when the women reappeared some time later.<p>

Both Gwen and Hale wore floor length, long sleeved gowns. Gwen's was a fiery red that faded to deep maroon. The gold beading along the bodice only accented her warm brown eyes. Arthur's face was almost as red as her dress when he offered her his arm. I think this was one of the few times I'd seen the proud prince speechless.

Next to the future queen, Hale stood in a deep blue gown, almost black near the bottom. Unlike Gwen's, Hale's dress was fairly simple. Subtle embroidery along the hem added just the right amount of detail to ensure the dress wasn't plain. She kept grumbling and fidgeting with the heavy material but she still managed to take my breath away.

Elyan elbowed me forward. I stumbled, then righted myself and offered her my arm. Hale raised an eyebrow but accepted anyway. Together we marched to where the feast stood waiting.

The festivities were similar to Hale's welcoming ceremony. I grinned remembering Merlin and Hale dissolving into laughter in the middle of the celebration. The memory caused a wave of nostalgia to wash over me. I couldn't help but feel slightly guilty to be celebrating while Cairon was out there terrorizing innocent people. I was quickly distracted by Uther rising from his seat.

"Thank you all for coming," the king started graciously. "You have no idea how relieved I am to have my son and his knights back home safe and sound…" Uther continued to talk like this for several minutes. I nearly fell asleep in my tankard but luckily Percival was there to nudge me awake.

"… And now I believe my son, Arthur, has a few words to say. Thank you again." Everyone in the room clapped politely as Uther resumed his seat. This time it was Arthur's turn to rise.

"Good evening to you all. I hope you have enjoyed the night's festivities, so generously provided by my father." Arthur paused as there was a roar of applause. "w I truly appreciate all of your support, and now I'm going to ask you to lend it once more."

Here he cleared his throat, took a deep breath and continued. "As you know, an evil sorcerer named Cairon is rampaging through Albion. The destruction he leaves in his wake is beyond words. While it hasn't happened yet, I fear he will soon set his sights on Camelot. Our army is superb, there is not a single knight who would not lay their life down for this kingdom. But it isn't enough." The crowd murmured uneasily and Uther was starting to look apprehensive.

"Should Cairon attack the citadel, the knights of Camelot will not be able to attack and defend the people at the same time. Especially not with sorcerers involved. That's why I believe it's best if we take the fight to Cairon." Gasps and whispers immediately erupted around the room, and I cringed at the thunderstruck look on Uther's face. This was not going to end well.

"I propose we take the knights and ride to Actica, where Cairon is hiding like a coward. We will need to send word to our allies, as the knights alone will not be enough. And through our combined efforts, we can stop this menace once and for all." Arthur sat down to a chorus of outraged cries and panicked squawks. While we who traveled with him were aware of the plan, hearing him announce it out loud made our task seem impossible. How were ordinary humans supposed to defeat a supremely powerful sorcerer?


	23. Chapter 22: Stalemate

**Chapter 22: Stalemate**

_**LANCELOT**_

"Have you lost your mind?" Uther's voice boomed around the throne room. The king was pacing restlessly, giving the impression of an angry lion.

"No father," Arthur said calmly. I was rather impressed with the way he kept his cool. "I have seen Cairon's power firsthand. Even if we somehow managed to defeat him here, there's no telling what condition Camelot would be left in. And besides, Actica's people need help -"

"Their problems do not concern me," Uther snarled. "My duty is to my people. How can I protect them if the knights are off on a suicide mission?!"

"You are protecting them by eliminating the threat before it arrives here!" Arthur shot back. Hale angrily stepped up beside him.

"And you can't just abandon _my_ people like that!" she snapped. "If it were the other way around, I wouldn't hesitate to help the people of Camelot!" Gwaine the marten chittered angrily on her shoulder.

"Then you are a fool!" Uther shouted. "I cannot condone this foolhardy plan of yours! The knights stay here to guard Camelot! That is all I have to say on the matter." With that, Uther stormed out of the room. Silence reigned in the wake of his departure.

"Well that settles it. We're doomed," Gwaine remarked.

* * *

><p>"Is he blind?" Arthur cried in exasperation. Hale fumed beside him. I sighed.<p>

"He's scared, Arthur," I said gently. "This isn't a decision to take lightly. He is right in a way, this is most likely a suicide mission."

Arthur glared at me. "Not you too."

I raised my hands in surrender. "All I'm saying is it's a very risky plan. Have you even talked to the knights about this yet?" Arthur considered that and then abruptly strode out of the room. Gwaine and I exchanged glances.

"I'll take that as a no, then," I murmured before following the prince out the door.

* * *

><p>We caught up to Arthur just in time to catch the end of his speech.<p>

"… And that's the situation. We must leave as soon as possible if we are to catch Cairon off guard. So who's with me?" We watched in silence as the knights shuffled uneasily. Then one brave man stepped forward.

"But sir," he began. "Hasn't the king forbid us from leaving our posts?" Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Technically, yes. But my father does not realize what Cairon is truly capable of. We need to act now." More uneasy shuffling. The knight spoke up again.

"Forgive my boldness sire, but I cannot go against your father's wishes. We have a duty to him and to the people of Camelot. I cannot throw away my ideals for a plan that may or may not work." The rest of the knights were similarly hesitant. Arthur's frustration was palpable.

"Fine," he said cooly. "I understand your loyalty to my father. I'm sorry to have wasted your time." He turned and stormed out much like his father did. Gwen ran after him calling his name anxiously. I sighed and ran a hand down my face.

"So what do we do now?" Hale asked. "We can't just give up!"

"Unfortunately, it seems that we won't have Camelot's support in this fight," I said wearily. "I really don't know what to do next."

Hale backed away shaking her head. "No. I refuse to accept this," she hissed. Gwaine reached out for her.

"Hale -" She slapped his hand away.

"I'm going to face Cairon and beat him if it's the last thing I do. I'll head out for Actica the day after tomorrow, with or without you all." She glared at the knights and then marched out the door. Her dress flared out behind her.

"Hale!" Leon cried reproachfully. He groaned and turned to us. "We're not going to be able to stop her, are we?"

Percival shook his head. "She's stubborn, that one."

"Well, it _is_ the fate of her people that we're talking about," Elyan said.

"I'm going with her." All eyes turned to Gwaine. He gazed back defiantly. "I lost her once, and I refuse to lose her again."

"Understandable," I replied, rubbing my temples. "Today has been most stressful. I think I just need a nice cup of tea…"

"You should go to Gaius then," Gwaine suggested. "His place is always quiet."

"That does sound nice," I said. "And it's been so long since we've seen Gaius - I think we should all pay him a visit, tell him what's been happening."

"And Merlin?" Elyan asked. I grimaced.

"He deserves to know more than anyone." All of us had the same look of dread on our faces. No one wanted to tell Gaius his adopted son had been kidnapped.

* * *

><p>As usual, Gaius greeted us with a smile.<p>

"It's good to see you all again," he began cheerfully. "I was so worried when I heard you hadn't been in contact. Then when the king announced you were back I was so happy. Now I'll finally have my assistant back. Work doesn't stop just because I'm short staffed, you know," he said jovially. Gaius scanned our little group of five before a puzzled look came over his face.

"Say, where is Merlin? Is he with Arthur?" All five of us exchanged glances, something we seemed to be doing a lot lately. When the other four all stared me down, I cleared my throat. Apparently I had been nominated as the bearer of bad news.

"Gaius, you might want to sit down for this…"


	24. Chapter 23: Gilfaethwy

**Disclaimer:** Refer to the first chapter regarding any and all Merlin characters, creatures, settings, etc. We also do not own Gilfaethwy or his story - we just tweaked his character a bit for our own purposes.

**Chapter 23: Gilfaethwy**

_**HALE**_

My emotions were an angry jumble. Servants and commoners alike scrambled to get out of my way as I swept down the halls. I let my feet take me wherever they wanted and soon found myself outside. Completely disregarding my elaborate attire, I sat down under a nearby tree with a huff.

"Stupid Uther," I muttered. Gwaine rubbed his little head against my cheek trying to calm me down. I absentmindedly scratched between his ears.

"What are we going to do, Gwaine?" I sighed and gazed at the stars. There was a slight tugging at the back of my head, which I now realized was a prelude to my visions. I sat back and allowed my sight to blur as the vision took over.

* * *

><p><em>I was in a mostly bare stone room. There were no windows or light of any kind except for a softly glowing orb in the center of the room. The orb rested on a black table.<em>

_Movement in the corner of my eye prompted me to turn my attention to the room's only inhabitant. The figure was bound in chains and ropes. Even from where I stood, I could feel the magic infused in the bonds. Upon closer inspection, I realized the bundle was a young man with a mop of brown hair and bright blue eyes. He seemed… familiar somehow._

_The man was awake and scanning his surroundings warily. A distant sound snapped both our attentions to the near invisible door in the wall. I'd missed it earlier._

_The door slowly swung open with an ominous creak. Two figures stepped through the opening, the second one holding a lantern aloft. The first to enter was a man cloaked in grey. His face was like stone, but I could see the wicked satisfaction in his eyes. The woman behind him possessed a cruel kind of beauty. She was stunning, but the effect was hollow and marred by the sadistic grin twisting her lips. Her brilliant green eyes zeroed in on the prisoner, who only glared back._

_"How are you feeling, Emrys?" she purred. "Or perhaps I should be calling you Merlin. We were friends once, after all." I stifled a gasp. That man was Merlin? The missing sorcerer?_

_"What do you want, Morgana?" Merlin asked, his posture tense. He turned his gaze to the man in grey. "And who's your new friend?"_

_Morgana smirked. "He is Lord Gilfaethwy, a powerful ally and your worst nightmare," she practically sang. I gritted my teeth. She was enjoying this way too much. Merlin scoffed._

_"Am I supposed to be afraid?" he asked haughtily. Morgana's eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to respond but Gilfaethwy beat her to it._

_"You should be very afraid, boy," he rumbled. "I am not a mere sorcerer like you. I am a god." Merlin's face paled, and I'm sure mine did as well. Gilfaethwy began slowly circling his captive._

_"Do you know what total humiliation tastes like, boy?" he asked. Merlin remained silent. The evil god tutted and continued, "It is not pleasant. Mine was made worse by the fact that it was inflicted by my own uncle." He paused for dramatic effect and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. What a drama queen. I could tell Merlin was thinking the same thing._

_"In order to live, my uncle was forced to keep his feet in the lap of a virgin at all times, unless he was at war. His chosen maiden was Goewin, a woman of indescribable beauty. I have never seen another quite like her. No offense intended, my dear," he addressed this to Morgana._

_"None taken," she replied smoothly. Gilfaethwy cleared his throat._

_"Now where was I? Oh yes, Goewin. She was an exquisite creature. I wanted her, as did my brother Gwydion. So we decided we had to have her. But how to get her away from my uncle, or him away from her? The answer was simple: start a war. That was the only time my uncle's feet could leave Goewin's lap. My brother and I stole some pigs from a neighboring kingdom, igniting a conflict between my uncle and said kingdom. While my uncle was away, Gwydion and I had our fun with the lovely Goewin." Merlin choked and I wanted to scream. What kind of monster was he?_

_"Unfortunately, Goewin did not keep her mouth shut and informed my uncle that she had lost her purity. My uncle was furious and punished my brother and I in the worst way possible." Here Gilfaethwy's face darkened. "He transformed us into a pair of mated animals that produced one offspring every year. And at the end of the year, he transformed us into a different pair of animals. This went on for three years. Three years of this humiliation, three years of suffering as a mere beast." His lips curled into a snarl. Meanwhile, Merlin was slightly green and I wanted to throw up too. Even Morgana looked mildly disgusted._

_"I could not bear the disgrace. He made a mockery of me. I could not even use my powers to free myself. And then there's that bitch, Arianrhod." Gilfaethwy's fury and hatred was rolling off him in waves. "That no-good sister of mine abandoned us in our time of need. She had the power to transform us, or at the very least convince my uncle to let us go. But instead, she told us we got our just desserts. She left us, laughed at us, and blatantly humiliated us. How could she abandon her brothers like that? Oh, how I longed to rip her apart for her disloyalty. But alas, I did not have the power to do so. I still don't, as a matter of fact."_

_"But my lord," Morgana said, shocked. "You are a god! You are one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful magical being I've ever met. Surely you could stand up to this Arianrhod now?"_

_"Ah, but you forget that as my sister, Arianrhod is a goddess. While I could certainly beat her in a duel of swords, her prowess with sorcery is unparalleled." Gilfaethwy looked like he had eaten something sour. He must hate the fact that his sister was a better sorcerer than him. But then he turned to Merlin with a sinister grin on his face. The abrupt change in demeanor threw us both off._

_"And this is where that sniveling idiot Cairon and you come in, young warlock." My eyes widened, as did Merlin's._

_"Cairon?" he asked. "What about him?"_

_"He is merely a pawn," the god waved a hand dismissively. "The fool lusts for power and destruction, so he was easy to manipulate. All I had to do was give him a few ideas and off he went. So easy."_

_"But why?" Merlin asked. "What could you possibly gain from having Cairon rampage all over Albion?"_

_"Revenge," Gilfaethwy replied gleefully. "My sister is charged with watching over these lands, and having a powerful tyrant like Cairon running around will give her a nice wake-up call. And without a powerful human sorcerer such as yourself around, she will eventually be forced to confront him. Cairon is nowhere near strong enough to defeat my sister, but he can deplete her energy enough so that when I attack, Arianrhod will be defenseless." He grinned triumphantly. I felt sick to my stomach. What kind of man would so willingly off his own sister?_

_"You're not telling me everything," Merlin said between gritted teeth. "If you really wanted me out of the way, you would have killed me by now. Instead, you kept me alive in this prison. What do you really want from me?" Gilfaethwy's smile widened._

_"I'm glad you asked, boy. We're going to drain your power." My jaw dropped. Was that even possible?_

_"We will reduce you to a mere servant, which is how it should have been. We will send you back to your people as a message. Your friends will despair, and my sister, who was probably counting on you facing Cairon, will be left without her trump card. And who knows? Perhaps we will put your drained power to some… other use." Merlin was white as a sheet and shaking by now, although with fear or anger I couldn't tell._

_"Actually, we've been draining your magic for some time now. Haven't you noticed that you feel weaker each day? Those bonds aren't just designed to be unbreakable. They are slowly leaching the power from your body as well. Unfortunately," he sighed. "It's a rather long, slow process. And I wish it were more painful for you but the more painful a draining process is, the more energy is wasted." Merlin slumped back in stunned silence. I was pretty shaken myself._

_"And Morgana?" Merlin asked weakly. "What do you get from all of this?"_

_"Revenge," the witch said dreamily. "Lord Gilfaethwy promised me that Camelot was mine to do with as I pleased, once Cairon finished with it. And Mordred, my little informant, tells me the time is fast approaching. I believe Cairon intends to storm the castle at the end of the month." Oh no. This couldn't be happening._

_We weren't prepared! Uther was being a stubborn old goat and we could not guarantee our allies would agree to help. I was ready to scream in frustration. That, of course, is when I felt a tugging that signaled my time here was ending._

_No! I thought. I can't go yet! I wanted to rush to Merlin and free him, I wanted to punch that bastard in the face, I wanted to do so many things but I could feel myself being sucked away against my will._

_Gilfaethwy rubbed his hands together eagerly. "I cannot wait to see the pure robes of the White Lady stained red with blood." His insane cackle was the last thing I heard before my vision faded._

* * *

><p>I sat up with a gasp. Gwaine squeaked in alarm and pawed at my clothes, but I was too distracted to pay attention.<p>

"Merlin!" I panted. I had to tell the others what I'd seen. Now.


	25. Chapter 24: Time is Running Out

**Chapter 24: Time is Running Out**

_**LANCELOT**_

Gaius had just sat down when Hale burst into the hut out of nowhere. Her hair was all over the place and her eyes were wide and panicked. Poor Gwaine was clinging to her shoulder for dear life, probably tearing her dress. Quickly scanning the room's occupants, she gasped, "Where's Arthur? And Gwen?"

"They went off somewhere together after Arthur attempted to persuade the knights, remember?" Leon supplied helpfully. She hit the doorframe in frustration.

"But they need to hear this! It's important!" she cried.

"My dear, you need to calm down. Sit and have a cup of tea with us. These gentlemen were just about to explain something to me," Gaius said, gently guiding the shaken girl to a chair. She nodded her thanks when he placed a steaming cup in front of her. After taking his seat, Gaius asked, "So what is it that's got you so worked up?" Hale took a deep breath.

"Have they told you what happened on our journey yet?"

Gaius shook his head. She stood up. "Right then. I'll go track down Arthur and Gwen while you guys fill Gaius in on what's been happening. Oh, and Gaius," she turned to the kindly old man and smiled. "It's really great to see you again." She dashed out the door, her poor marten still attached to her shoulder. Gaius laughed and shook his head.

"Still a whirlwind of energy, that one. Well, best get on with it. Tell me your story."

* * *

><p>When Hale returned with Arthur and Gwen in tow, the atmosphere in the room was very different. Poor Gaius was pale and shaking.<p>

"So Merlin's really been kidnapped? And by Morgana of all people?" he asked weakly for the third time. Gwaine patted his hand soothingly.

"Yes. But don't you worry, we're going to get him back. And since Merlin's apparently a lot stronger than we thought, he'll be just fine." Gaius' head shot up at that.

"You know?" he croaked. Gwaine jerked a thumb at me.

"He told us after we had a run-in with someone who knew him as Emrys. Say, do you have any idea what the deal is with this Emrys thing? Why does Merlin have two names?"

Gaius didn't respond, too busy gauging Arthur's reaction to Gwaine's casual confession. Arthur glared at him.

"So you knew too, eh? Guess that makes sense considering you lived with him," Arthur muttered. Gwen cast him a worried glance. He was clearly still in a bad mood.

"How did things go so wrong?" Gaius whispered. Hale grimaced.

"It gets worse," she said grimly. "I had a vision before I came bursting in here. And you're not going to like what I saw." She proceeded to recount the events she'd witnessed. As her story progressed, the atmosphere in Gaius' normally cozy hut grew heavier and heavier. We were up against a god? I thought fighting Cairon was bad, but this was catastrophic. And what about Merlin? They would not keep him alive long after they drained his power. At least we knew he was alive, though. I could see my thoughts mirrored in my companions' faces.

After Hale finished, no one spoke for quite some time. The silence was broken by the sound of Arthur's chair being pushed back.

"We ride for Actica in two nights," the prince announced. His expression betrayed nothing but his posture was rigid. "Make your preparations. I need to speak with the knights once more."

* * *

><p>It took longer than expected to gather all the knights of Camelot. Many were confused, some were irritated, and plenty were apprehensive about what Arthur had to say. Word of his plan had spread and the knights didn't like having to choose between father and son.<p>

"Sire," one knight began. "If this is about your plan to fight Cairon -"

"I know my father has ordered you to stay and protect our people," Arthur cut him off. "I understand why he gave the orders he did, and I don't begrudge him for it." The knights muttered in confusion. Where was Arthur going with this?

"I know what you're thinking," Arthur continued. "And yes, we are up against an opponent more dangerous than anything we've ever faced before. But that does not give us an excuse to give up. In fact, that is all the more reason for us to rise to the occasion." The knights seemed to shrink back from Arthur's stern gaze.

"My father believes that keeping the knights here will be enough to save our people. As much as I hate to admit it, that isn't true. Cairon cannot be allowed to approach these walls. His power would destroy us all, and that is why we must defeat him before he has the chance to reach us."

"But if he's so powerful, won't we just die there?" the bold knight from before asked. "What is the point of fighting him on his own territory?"

Arthur's stern face looked upon his knights, and the setting sun's light illuminated his face. He looked around at each one of us who had been on the perilous journey with him. Only we understood the importance of stopping Cairon. We had witnessed the destruction that he wrought on all of the kingdoms.

"This is not about keeping just OUR people safe. We must rally other kingdoms to send their armies. Cairon is not just attacking Camelot. He is attacking us all, and it is our duty as human beings to stand side by side against such treachery. Though we have at times been at war with our neighboring kingdoms, he is now at war with us all!"

The room shuffled a bit, and it seemed a little more crowded than before.

"When the sorcerer attacks one kingdom, that is an attack to us all. He will not stop there. If we want true peace among the lands, we must take this opportunity to unite with our brothers from the other kingdoms."

There was a wave of nods around the room, yet it still didn't seem like many of the knights were convinced.

Arthur looked to us and extended his arms to his right and left. "My comrades and I have been wandering the lands for months, and we have seen what true evil is. I have seen children and widows suffering. Vibrant villages have been burnt to the ground and now the bones of their people have turned into ashes. And yes, those are not our people, and we have in the past let other kingdoms deal with their own problems, but…"

And Arthur's voice rose to a boom, and the entire room room vibrated with his passion as he continued, "How would you feel if you were suffering in agony, helpless, distraught and oppressed, as your neighbor simply watched your destruction?"

That seemed to strike a chord within those assembled. How could we just let those around us suffer? Even though the problem seemed so out of our grasp, these men had enough integrity to die trying to save innocent lives.

"If we do nothing now, if we don't put up a fight, he will only arrive in Camelot that much sooner. Our days will be numbered, and what would be the point if we do not unite, and try to defend us all? It would be useless to protect only Camelot, because we will all die if we stand around here and wait for him to come to us!" It was silent, then a roar of approval from the knights erupted.

A strong voice burst out of the crowd, "But sire, should the other kings react similarly to your father, what do we do then? All hope will be lost."

The crowd grew quiet again.

"Those armies would not budge to defend Camelot alone; the rulers would have the same view as my father. However, a coordinated attack to protect several kingdoms at once is justifiable." Understanding dawned on some of the knights. His logic made sense.

"As for territory, Cairon is not the only one who knows Actica well." The prince motioned to Hale, who stepped forward.

"As you all know, this is Hale, princess of Actica. She will be able to provide information about the kingdom that Cairon, who returned to his homeland after years away, will not be privy to." I raised an eyebrow. It was smart of Arthur not to mention Hale's true heritage or her powers, but those two facts would greatly motivate the knights. At least with Hale on our side (and perhaps the White Lady), we had a chance.

"Right now, Cairon believes we will stay put as my father ordered. If we can catch him by surprise, we will stand a greater chance of bringing him down. I will ride for Actica in two nights." Exclamations of shock - "So soon?" "Alone?! What is the prince thinking?!" - echoed around the room.

But as I listened to Arthur's speech, I couldn't help my pride to be following this man from surfacing. He had grown, and he was going to make a great king. Possibly even the greatest king Camelot - and maybe Albion - has ever seen.

"I am not asking you to choose between my father and I. I am asking you to choose between hope and despair, the people or yourself. Still, no matter what happens, all of you brave men will have a place in Camelot. Those of you who choose to stay, I won't hold it against you. Now," His tone suddenly became business-like. "I will need runners to request help from allied kingdoms. You there," he pointed at a random knight who jumped in surprise. "Make sure that happens."

"Yes sire," the knight bowed and ran off to fulfill his task. Arthur turned back to the others.

"The rest of you, prepare yourselves. In two day's time, we ride to war."


	26. Chapter 25: Marching Off to War

**Chapter 25: Marching Off to War**

_**HALE**_

As much as I hated to admit it, Arthur's speech left me, well, speechless. The knights had obviously been impressed too as many jumped at the chance to save the world. Unfortunately, only a little over half the knights volunteered to help. We would need more than that to defeat Cairon's forces.

But even with a smaller number, there was so much activity I was surprised Uther didn't do anything about it. Perhaps he thought that the hustle and bustle was for defending Camelot rather than his son's "suicidal scheme." Whatever the case, no one interfered with our preparations.

* * *

><p>The two days before we left passed in a blur. All too soon, everyone was getting ready to meet outside Camelot's walls. Even though I had two days to get used to it, I still wasn't comfortable only taking half the knights.<p>

"Don't worry about it," Leon told me. "We sent out the runners to ask for aid - I'm sure more warriors will be sent our way."

That was three hours ago. I bit my lip nervously as Arthur oversaw the last of the preparations. Wiping his forehead, he spotted me and walked over.

"Feeling alright?" he asked. I nodded mutely.

"We'd best head out then." He started walking away. A sudden thought occurred to me and I called out, "I'll be there in a minute. I just have some last minute business to take care of." Arthur turned back to me with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay. Just don't take too long, understood?" I mockingly saluted him, and he snorted and walked off. Meanwhile, I doubled back to the throne room. It couldn't hurt to try one last time.

I strode into the room with confidence, a confidence that the king apparently did not appreciate.

"What do you want?" he asked. I stared at Uther with such malice that I thought I saw the hairs on his body stand on end. "Actica needs your help," I said, pleading but demanding at the same time.

"Hale, did I not make myself clear the first time you brought your wretched self to my kingdom? I cannot help you with fighting this Cairon. He is not in my kingdom, and I shall not help. I have a duty as king to my own people, not to any other's."

"Then you are no king," I spat. His eyes widened with shock, then narrowed in hatred.

"Let me tell you why," I continued as I walked towards him, sword in hand. Not one of the guards moved from their stations, and I saw Uther start to panic. "Look outside your window. Your people suffer everyday."

"Well, that is life. There will be suffering," he countered.

"But is it not your duty as king to make sure that their suffering is more manageable?"

I saw his lips quiver as he tried to think of something to say. I came close to his face, stared him right in the eyes and whispered, "You may be a king, Uther Pendragon, but I've met gypsies who deserve far more respect than you ever will." I moved away from his face, and looked at him with menacing eyes. I backed away and walked down the hall to the door. Before I got to the door, Uther finally spoke.

"You are just like Morgana!"

I chuckled humorlessly. "We are far more different than your lying eyes can see. I wouldn't gain satisfaction from killing you and taking your throne. That is not an honorable way of gaining power. And it is not power I want; it is _justice_. And if I wanted to bring down your kingdom, I wouldn't tell you that Arthur and his knights are on a perilous journey that they may not return from without your help." I leveled a knowing stare at him, bowed and left. I thought I heard him shouting, but by then I'd already used my magic to send me to where my friends were waiting (a little trick the Druid woman taught me).

"What took you so long?" Arthur demanded furiously. He was clearly on edge and still uncomfortable with disobeying his father's wishes.

"Sorry, took longer than expected," I replied vaguely. "Now let's get moving. We don't have any time to spare." And with that, we marched off to war.

_**END PART TWO**_


	27. Chapter 26: Questions Answered

_**PART THREE**_

**Chapter 26: Questions Answered**

_**HALE**_

I thought traveling in a small group was slow. It took twice as long with an army. Well, half an army anyway.

We also attracted a lot more attention, with boisterous Gwaine and the knights, and the ever arrogant Arthur. I cringed every time we walked into a village because I knew we were ridiculously easy to track. If Cairon, Morgana, or God forbid, Gilfaethwy himself decided to ambush us, they wouldn't have to work too hard. I voiced my fears to Gwen, who nodded understandingly.

"You're right. Arthur knows it too, but we can't do anything about it," she whispered. I shifted restlessly.

"And it's not just that. The fact that they're just _letting_ us march is freaking me out. It's too easy, they're too confident," I muttered back.

She sighed. "If you continue to worry like this, you'll go crazy. Come, let's get our supplies and go," she said, gently tugging me along.

* * *

><p>It felt strange to be traveling back to my homeland. Everything started there, and now it was all going to end in the same place. I was hoping going back to the place of my birth would trigger the rest of my memories, but no such luck yet. There was a faint pounding in the back of my mind, like the memories were straining to be released but it was nothing more than a nudge.<p>

That night as I settled down, I could feel the pounding getting stronger. _Hopefully this is it_, I thought and eagerly fell asleep.

* * *

><p><em>To my disappointment, I found myself back in Merlin's prison. Then I chided myself for my selfishness. I should be grateful that I could see what was happening. These visions would probably save our lives.<em>

_I turned my attention to Merlin, who was sitting up and glaring at a smirking Morgana._

_"What are you doing here?" Merlin asked grumpily. "Come to gloat?"_

_"Of course," Morgana replied cheerfully. If the circumstances had been less dire, I would have laughed at Merlin's pout._

_"Why do you hate Uther so much?" Merlin's question caught us both off guard. Morgana's eyes instantly narrowed and she hissed._

_"He was responsible for my father's death. My real father, even though Uther claims that is he," she growled. "Then there is his attitude towards magic. Even before I came into my powers, I never approved of Uther's bloodthirsty philosophies. What right did he have to persecute a minority who had no control of their destinies? I once believed Uther could change for the better." She laughed hollowly. "What a naive little girl I was. That man will never change. He called me his beloved ward, his daughter, but the minute he found out I had magic he sentenced me to death." Merlin looked like he wanted to argue but decided against it._

_"I hate him," she snarled. "And Arthur is turning out to be just as bad as his father. I don't understand how you, Emrys, can serve such monsters so willingly!"_

_"Arthur is different!" Merlin shot back. "He was raised to hate magic, but he is much more open-minded than his father ever was! And to be fair, both Arthur and Uther have only ever been exposed to malicious magic. Uther cannot see, or refuses to acknowledge that using magic is like wielding a sword. The sword itself is not evil, but it can perform heinous deeds if the wielder has darkness in their heart. If Arthur could see that magic isn't malevolent by nature-"_

_"Then show him!" Morgana cried. "How many times have you saved him with magic? And yet you say nothing! Don't you dare claim that Arthur is different when you can't even tell him you're a sorcerer!"_

_"As if you're helping!" Merlin shouted. "If anything, your actions have only proven Uther right. You don't want equality for magic users. You just seek power!"_

_"Fool!" the witch screamed. "I am trying to change this land for the better, and the only way to do that is with power!" Merlin scoffed._

_"Keep telling yourself that. But you will not succeed in your plan. My friends aren't as weak as you think." The sinister grin on Morgana's face gave me a very bad feeling._

_"Oh really? Then what about your new friend Hale?" Merlin smirked._

_"She's powerful. Gilfaethwy said Arianrhod would be lost without her trump card, but Hale will take my place if the worst happens." Morgana started laughing._

_"You poor fool," the witch gloated. "I forgot you don't know. Hale is dead. Cairon killed her." The horror on his face broke my heart._

_"Y-you're a liar Morgana! Hale is strong, she couldn't have - she wouldn't -" Merlin's grief made it hard for him to speak any longer._

_Morgana's grin was positively maniacal._

_"She died searching for you. And she is only the first of many who will die in your name."_

Merlin! I'm alive, I'm right here!_ I screamed but I knew it was useless. Merlin's heartbroken expression only crumpled further as Morgana started laughing._

_Suddenly, Morgana's voice was drowned out by a roaring wind. The wind whipped at my face and I had to shield myself with my arms. However, I seemed to be the only one affected. What the hell? This had never happened before._

_My surroundings suddenly shifted to a vast field. It stretched for as far as the eye could see. A canopy of stars stretched above me, nestled in the deep indigo of the sky. The grass carpet beneath my feet matched the stars perfectly. In fact, I could not tell where the sky ended and the earth began, if it was even earth._

_Then I noticed a disturbance in the air. I watched warily as a woman in pure white robes materialized before me. Curly white hair cascaded down her back while brilliant gold eyes pierced my soul. This woman possessing an ethereal, ageless grace was a true creature of magic._

_"Who are you?" I asked, even though I had a feeling I knew who it was._

_"I am Arianrhod, guardian of this land, and your mother. You may know me better as the White Lady." Her voice was as graceful and ageless as her face._

_"Mother?!" I cried. Arianrhod sighed._

_"You have met your sisters, Ide and Jade, yes? Haven't you ever wondered how you three were related since Ide and Jade are not King Hadrian's children?"_

_Oh. I felt pretty stupid when she put it that way. I'd never thought about it, mainly because I was so concerned with Cairon. Speaking of which…_

_"If you're in charge of protecting these lands, why haven't you done something about Cairon?" She chuckled._

_"I have, my daughter. I brought you back to life."_

_Huh? But I wasn't able to question her further. She raised her left hand and let her index finger rest on my forehead. Surprisingly, I wasn't bothered by the contact._

_"I believe it is time," she intoned._

_"Time?" I repeated._

_"For you to remember all." With that, I was blinded by a flash of white light._

_Familiar colors, sounds, even smells and fleeting touches rushed me in a blur. I should have been overwhelmed by all the sensations, but this was what I had been craving. I needed answers._

_I laughed when I saw the knights' expressions after I defeated the bandits and the way Arthur was so gentle with Gwen. I rolled my eyes at Merlin giggling as he left me and Gwaine alone in a room, Gwen working magic on my hair. I saw Merlin's face when he accidentally revealed his magic to me, and I glared as I watched Gwaine dancing in the healing village with Gizelle. I shivered as I watched us mope about in the dryad prison and felt the heat of the fire after we rescued my sisters. I seethed when I saw Morgana and Mordred laughing at our pain from losing Merlin. Finally, I cried out in alarm as something struck the back of my head and I lost consciousness._

_I collapsed to my knees before my mother, who only stared stonily down on me._

_"It is done," she announced before disappearing as discreetly as she came._

* * *

><p>For the first time since I awoke so long ago, I felt complete. I now knew exactly who I was and what I'd been through. The memories also cleared up a lot of my questions, including my connection with Merlin who I hadn't met in person.<p>

I couldn't suppress an irrational surge of shame from surfacing. How could I forget such loyal, vibrant friends? I knew I was being silly, I didn't have any control over what happened but I felt guilty nonetheless.

I also felt guilty about running off like an idiot. That was literally the biggest mistake of my life. My friends had suffered for it and poor Merlin didn't even know I was still alive. On the bright side, neither did our enemies. It wasn't much, but it gave me hope.

_Squeak?_ Gwaine the marten nuzzled my chin comfortingly.

"Don't worry, buddy," I whispered. "I'm fine. I finally remember everything."

* * *

><p>The next village we stopped at was busier than the others. We thought perhaps we would be able to blend in there much better, and it might make it easier for us to make a swift exit without being noticed by prying eyes. We entered the village as night fell, and the streets were only lit by the inns and taverns that were still bright with life.<p>

As discreetly as we could, we came to the Gray Owl's Inn. We decided not to all walk in at the same time, for there were eight of us _and_ half of the knights of Camelot, and that surely would bring attention to us. Gwen and Elyan paired up pretending to be nobles from an outlying province of Alusia. My marten hitched a ride with them. Percy, Leon and Lancelot masqueraded as minstrels. They hid their armor and other attire that bore the Pendragon crest, and stole some clothes from a traveling circus in town. The other knights and Arthur found some way to disguise themselves. They all slowly entered, group by group until Gwaine and I were the only ones left. I smiled to myself as I recalled the memories I'd lost of him.

Gwaine stood there with his arms crossed, a scowl etched into his face. My smile quickly vanished. This stoic and stern Gwaine was not at all like the one from my memories.

"What's wrong with you?" I put my hands on my hips. He raised an eyebrow and looked at me, then smiled coldly and started to walk towards the door of the Gray Owl.

"Wait!" I said as I grabbed his arm. "What do you think you're doing?"

He scowled at me again, and I saw his earthy brown eyes turn dark. "What does it look like, princess? I am going in there to get me a bed so I can get some shut eye."

Although he was intense, I tried not to laugh at the way his hair bounced as he spoke with vigor. But then what he said suddenly settled into my head.

"Well, excuse me! I thought we would go in together."

Gwaine violently tugged his arm out of my grip. He leaned in close to me, "Well I think not."

Now it was my turn to scowl. This Gwaine was such a sour, stern, handsome man…

I inhaled sharply, as I realized Gwaine's eyes turned softer towards me in bemusement.

"What?" I asked him sharply. Out of the corner of my eye I saw an older couple walking by us and giving us the biggest stare.

_How odd_, I thought. But then I realized Gwaine and I had been standing outside of the inn for a while, not really talking about anything but staring angrily at one another.

"Well if you don't mind, lass, I am going in." And Gwaine turned around to walk once again towards the inn. My mind raced quickly. I didn't want to enter the inn on my own, but maybe it was more than that. Somewhere far deep in my heart, I wanted to be with Gwaine. It was a strange longing.

I looked around for a disguise. There were only bales of hay for the horse stables at the back of the inn and some cloth hanging near one of the vendor stalls.

I couldn't help but smirk as I got an idea. As stealthily as I could, I snuck over to the vendor stall. It was abandoned, but there was a pile of withered cloths on the ground. I looked over my shoulders and saw that people were too busy to pay attention to little old me. Gwaine was only just entering the inn. I quickly grabbed the cloth and bundled it up. As I ran towards the Gray Owl, I stuffed the cloth into my tunic so I appeared to be pregnant.

As I entered the inn, I spotted Gwaine talking to a large man who towered over Gwaine menacingly. The two men were glaring each other down. I raced over whilst trying to act like a woman who was six months pregnant. Finally I reached Gwaine and interlaced my fingers with his, as if it were natural. I looked to the middle aged innkeeper, a heavy-set ginger man. I smiled sweetly at him.

"I'm so sorry, is my husband giving you any trouble?" Gwaine looked down at me with murder in his eyes, but suppressed his annoyance.

"My love, this man here is the innkeeper. I was just… _negotiating_ the price for our room." Almost every word of his seemed excruciatingly forced.

"Oh, I apologize. I haven't done much traveling with the baby and all." I patted the mound of cloth under my clothes, and I watched as Gwaine suddenly realized that not only was I acting as his wife, but I was also pregnant with his child.

The innkeeper looked utterly disinterested and turned his attention back to Gwaine.

"So what will it be?"

"We will take the cheapest room with two beds," Gwaine said as he dropped a bunch of coins into the innkeeper's hand. The innkeeper looked at us suspiciously.

"It's hard for me and my wife to sleep in the same bed. Pregnancy hormones, you know." My eye twitched but I kept a smile plastered on my face. Discreetly, I stepped on Gwaine's foot.

"That's only when we are home, dear. Now that we are travelling in unfamiliar lands, I'd feel much safer if you slept by my side. Carrying _your_ child is hard work, you know." I grinned triumphantly at him. Before Gwaine could react, I whipped out some money and said, "We'll take the cheapest room with _one_ bed, please."

The innkeeper nodded and took the money, then handed me a key. He didn't even seem phased by our bickering. All he wanted was our money. I wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or grateful for that.

"Thank you, good sir," I sang before dragging Gwaine off to our room.

* * *

><p>After we found our room, Gwaine and I searched for the others. I should have expected them all to be gathered in Arthur's room, which was considerably larger than ours. Our six friends looked up as we walked in. Gwen was petting my marten as he snoozed in her lap.<p>

"What took you two so long?" Arthur demanded. Then everyone's eyes zeroed in on my stomach. Elyan gasped, Arthur raised an eyebrow, Gwen tried to pass off a giggle as a cough, and the others merely stared. Then Leon grinned.

"Well well, Gwaine. You certainly work fast," he commented. Gwaine spluttered while I rolled my eyes.

"Knock it off, Leon. As if I'd let this temperamental idiot near me," I said, glancing around before pulling out the cloth from beneath my shirt.

"Here, you can have my baby," I told Leon before throwing the cloth over his head. He laughed and pulled it off. Both Gwaine and Arthur were glaring at us so we quickly sobered up.

We all sat around Arthur, and I noticed Gwaine tried to stay as far away from me as possible. It hurt, but I forced myself to focus on the task at hand.

"Tonight, we will come up with a plan of attack and let the rest of my men know tomorrow," Arthur started, "so we have a long night ahead of us. To start with, we need to know as much as possible about the battlefield. Hale, what can you tell us?"

"Well," I started, "I do remember the landscape of Actica. The terrain is mountainous and the kingdom is built around this. The castle is surrounded by a dense forest, but there is a large clearing around the building itself -"

"Maybe a visual would help," Lancelot added before I continued. I fumbled in my bag for parchment and charcoal. Once I found them, I laid the parchment on the floor and we placed candles around it. I drew a quick sketch of the castle and the surrounding trees.

"A few miles to the east is the citadel, which is hidden by this grove of trees. It's almost impossible to climb up because the cliffs are so sheer." I drew some more. "I am certain Cairon will be here. It would be easy for him to see us coming if we come from the west side where the castle is, so we should enter through either the north or the south. If we come in from the north, we would be able to trap him at the citadel. However, reinforcements won't be able to make it to us in time should we need backup. It's the same situation if we attack from the south."

For a moment a grim silence fell over us all. Then Percy cleared his throat and pointed at a spot on the makeshift map.

"What if archers approach the citadel from the south so that Cairon would be attacked from both the north and the south? They could launch the first offense, then the cavalry would attack. The infantry would follow behind."

"Perhaps," Arthur said, still unsure of this plan.

"Maybe," Gwaine chimed in, "as we attack from the north and the south, a small group could sneak in from the west towards Cairon. If he's distracted by the fights in the north and south, we could take him out before he even sees what's coming." Gwaine looked at Arthur, who looked pleased with the plan.

The prince announced, "I think this plan could work. Of course, we will definitely need the support of the allied kingdoms' armies to pull this off. Still, I think the leaders will agree to the plan…"

And as the night went on and the plan became more solid, I couldn't help thinking about the one thing we were forgetting or choosing to ignore; Cairon was a powerful sorcerer. My powers were still unpredictable and I didn't know how to contact my sisters, let alone Merlin. Even if this plan did work without a hitch, could we really defeat such a dangerous opponent in close combat?


	28. Chapter 27: Healers

**Chapter 27: Healers**

_**LANCELOT**_

After we finished planning, no one could sleep in anticipation of the coming battle. But despite the lack of sleep, everyone was invigorated. We finally had a definitive course of action to defeat Cairon.

As soon as the sun started to rise above the horizon, we left the Gray Owl in the same manner we came. We all met in the woods at the edge of the town, with Hale and Gwaine bringing up the rear. Gwaine's face was red and weary, but Hale looked as if she was ready to murder the poor man. They walked slightly apart and Hale had her fists clenched. When they reached us, Hale paused in front of Elyan and Percival, and Gwaine aggressively bumped shoulders with her as he passed them and joined me. I looked over at the trio in time to see Hale scowl at Gwaine. For a moment, I feared she would hit him, but she quickly brought her attention to Percival and Elyan who were still working out the logistics of our battle plan.

I finally looked at Gwaine who seemed agitated and annoyed as hell. I couldn't help chuckling. Grabbing him by the shoulder, I teased, "I see you and Hale are already having marital problems."

"Oh shut it Lancelot!"

Clearly, Gwaine was in no mood to talk. And Hale was no better. I sighed to myself. It was going to be a long, tense journey if those two were constantly at each others' throats.

* * *

><p>For the next few days, we traveled through the wilderness without encountering a single strange soul. We were always on guard, but I still found time to observe our most unpredictable female friend.<p>

Hale had been acting different for the past few days. Gwen confided her fears to me, but it was more than that. Although Hale was angry with Gwaine at the moment, she carried herself with a confidence she hadn't possessed before. Perhaps it was because we were nearing her homeland.

Hale started falling behind so I slowed my pace to match hers. "Are you alright?" I asked the girl in question.

Hale smiled. "Fine. Never been better."

I gave her a questioning look. Her gaze shifted towards Gwaine, who was in some sort of deep conversation with Leon and Percival, for a split second, and then back to me.

"Ah," I said. "You are still mad at Gwaine, aren't you?"

"It's not that, although he's acting like a complete child," she said slowly. "It's just… he's… and I'm… well… it's complicated," she finished lamely.

"Nothing is ever simple," I replied gently. Hale made a face.

"Thanks Lancelot, that makes me feel so much better," she muttered. Then she groaned.

"Sorry, I've just been really stressed lately, well I guess we all are, but I shouldn't take it out on you," she apologized. I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"There's no need to apologize, I understand," I said. "You especially are under much pressure. Out of everyone here, you stand to lose the most."

* * *

><p>About two weeks later, we traveled slightly off course to replenish our water supplies. Hale recognized the area since it was so close to Actica and she showed us a way towards a stream and small pool of water. It was in the middle of a beautiful glen. The grove of giant redwoods loomed over us as if they were guards. Our large group took up most of the space in the glen but we didn't mind, as long as we got some water. As everyone stood or sat around quenching their thirst, I noticed something, or rather the lack of something. Besides the sounds of indignant gulping of water, the forest was silent. I put down my canteen of water and walked towards the edge of the grove. Arthur came to walk beside me.<p>

"What is it, Lancelot?"

Instead of answering, I only kept walking until I was surrounded by trees. Suddenly everything became dark again. Arthur and I looked up at the sky and saw that clouds were rolling in. A shiver came over me, which soon became an uncontrollable shiver. I became dizzy and lost my balance, and fell to the ground.

"Lancelot!" Arthur yelled. I wanted to tell him to stop panicking, and to keep his voice down, because I knew what caused me to lose control of my balance. A pair of glowing eyes in trees. But suddenly I couldn't move - I was paralyzed. I saw Gwen rush over to me, and she became frantic as well.

She put her hand to my forehead, "He doesn't have a fever. What is wrong with him?"

Soon the other knights were gathered around me. Hale pushed her way through the crowd and kneeled down by my side. She put her fingers to my life vein, and let out a deep exhale. Everyone was silent and looked at her.

"Lancelot is paralyzed."

Gwen gasped, and the others looked at each other, confused.

"How could this happen? I was standing right next to him. There was nothing that could have paralyzed him!"

I started to panic. There was something in those woods that had done this to me and it was going to do the same with the rest of them, but I was helpless. I was trapped in my own body. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs but it seemed that even my voice had been taken from me. Is this how Gwaine felt when the goblin possessed him? I was wrenched from my thoughts by the snapping of tree branches and stomping of feet coming from the woods.

Arthur stood, and then I could see no more. I only heard sound, I thought perhaps I was dying. I heard a deep voice croak something in the language of magic.

And then suddenly all my senses came back to me at once, and my body was on fire. I shot up, and froze again as I saw the sight in front of me.

All of us were surrounded by men, and I knew that they must have been some of Cairon's forces. We were caught completely off guard. These men, if one could call them that, were nothing like we'd ever seen before. They were abnormally large, their muscles straining against their skin, and their eyes appeared to have a slight glow. The most peculiar thing of all was the tattoos on their bodies. Strange symbols were etched into their skin with blue ink all over. They were all hairless and nearly naked except for ragged burlap pants. The scythes they wielded pulsed with a strange light. Vaguely I wondered if Merlin would know what these creatures were.

"What the hell…" I heard Gwaine mutter and before anyone else could say a word Cairon's man-beasts charged at us.

I along with the rest of the knights unsheathed our swords in unison, and Arthur cried out, "Keep Hale safe!"

I looked over and saw that Hale was about to protest, but Gwaine swiftly picked her up, threw her over his shoulders and ran towards the glen.

"Lancelot! Take Gwen as well!" I nodded and grabbed Gwen's arm. Together we raced after Gwaine and the irate Hale.

"PUT ME DOWN AND LET ME FIGHT, YOU BASTARD!" Hale roared as she pounded on Gwaine's back. Her marten popped up out of nowhere and chittered angrily at his namesake.

"Order are orders, princess!" Gwaine shouted back. But he was forced to skid to a halt when one of the beasts jumped out in front of them. Gwaine swore and set Hale down, then stepped in front of her protectively with his sword drawn.

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much!" Hale fumed as she moved to stand beside Gwaine. The beast before them growled and swung the scythe down. I couldn't see whether they dodged, although I was sure they had, since another beast charged at me and Gwen. I shoved Gwen out of the way and shouted, "RUN!" Thankfully she heeded my words and took off. Just in time too, for the beast was upon me at that point. My sword met his scythe, but I underestimated his strength. It took everything I had just to keep my sword up.

The beast grew impatient and raised his scythe to strike again, but I took the opportunity to dive for his legs. I swung my sword with all my strength, but to my horror the sword simply bounced off of the beast's skin. I staggered back from the aftershock of such a powerful blow.

_What the… How is that possible?_ I wondered frantically. _His legs should have been sliced clean through, but there isn't so much as a scratch! What are these creatures?_

There was a _clang_ and then I heard Hale shriek, "What the hell?!" She must have discovered the armor-like skin of our enemies as well. Similar cries of shock echoed from the area where our comrades fought.

"How in the bloody hell am I supposed to fight these things if I can't even cut them?!" Gwaine bellowed in frustration.

_I don't know_, I thought but my distraction almost cost me dearly. My opponent roared and swung down with his scythe again and I barely managed to roll out of the way. But my rolling was stopped as I bumped into another body. I looked over and saw that it was an unconscious Gwen. I was so shocked I almost didn't notice the beast running towards me, but thankfully Hale was paying attention and cried out my name just in time for me to parry its blow. The wind was knocked out of me. The beast pinned me down with its forearm, and leaned in close to me until our noses were almost touching. Its skin was hard and cold as marble, and its eyes, oh its eyes were a horrific shade of blue. Suddenly the eyes rolled back until all was left were the whites, and it started grunting.

Its breath was so foul that I vomited, which didn't quite help the situation. My face was covered in vomit, blood and sweat, and I was powerless to get this creature off of me. He kept pressing down harder until I felt bones begin to crack. I tried to cry out in pain but my voice was muffled by the vomit. I started to choke on it and I knew that I was going to die.

I couldn't look away as my attacker's white eyes started to roll back. And then suddenly it went limp, and fell to the side. I tried to get up but I was too exhausted. Painfully I drew my arm to my face to wipe off myself.

I looked up and saw Hale standing over me. The veins in her face looked as if they were about to pop out. Her hand was raised in front of her, just as Merlin's would after he does a spell.

_So she can control her magic now_, I thought before I blacked out from the pain.

* * *

><p>I woke to Gwen's worried face hovering over me. The worry in her eyes was replaced with relief when our gazes met. She gently rested her forehead against mine.<p>

"Thank goodness," she murmured. Before I could say anything, Hale ran up and nearly knocked Gwen over.

"Oh my God Lancelot are you alright?" she cried. I was about to answer when -

"HALE!" a voice shrieked. Hale whirled in time to be knocked over by a blur of golden hair. What on Earth?

"Oomph!" Hale huffed. She looked down to see a small girl hugging her torso. A little boy - probably her brother - followed soon after.

"Isolde? Alec?" An ear splitting grin slowly spread over Hale's face. Her marten leapt onto the little boy's head.

"Gwaine!" the little girl, whose name was apparently Isolde, cried happily. She plucked the marten from her brother's head and cuddled him.

"It's you! It's really you!" The little boy started jumping up and down in excitement.

"ISOLDE! ALEC!" a woman's voice roared. Both children froze, then yelped and hid behind Hale. I would have been concerned if Hale didn't look so amused.

A small group of women, led by a young blond man, came running towards us. They stopped when they saw our group.

"Oh my," one older woman gasped, a hand over her mouth.

The young man stepped forward. "Hale?!"

Hale grinned and waved cheekily. The two children peeked out from behind her legs.

"Long time no see, Kay!" she shouted. The name sounded familiar. Then I took a closer look at the group. It wasn't just women; I'd missed the other three small children before. From the looks of it, they were gypsies. My eyes widened. These must be the gypsies Hale traveled with for so long.

The older woman and Kay rushed forward.

"Are you alright? What happened?" the woman asked Hale. She scanned our forces and frowned. "So much blood. Are these your friends, Hale dear?" Then her eyes landed on Arthur.

"P-prince Arthur!" she stuttered. The other gypsies' eyes widened and they immediately bowed.

"You never told us you had such important friends, Hale," Kay remarked. She smirked.

"Well, I am a princess. Or was. Whatever," she retorted. Kay smiled.

"In any case, it's good to see you again," he said genuinely. "I'm glad to see you've found friends. Although," he eyed us critically, "you may not have friends anymore if they all bleed to death. Maggie, do we have any extra bandages?"

* * *

><p>The gypsies could not have arrived at a better time. The women were quick to bandage us up and knew several helpful medicines. The children's naive happiness was like a breath of fresh air. Within minutes of their arrival, I could feel the overall mood of the group lift.<p>

"Thank you," I said quietly. The woman bandaging my arm shrugged.

"You're friends of the girl. We owe her quite a debt, this is the least I can do," she replied.

"We can do more than that." Kay crouched down next to me. "You seem to be in need of medical aid. My people can provide that."

"At what cost?" I asked skeptically. Pure, free kindness was hard to come by these days.

"Nothing," he said. "We all care about Hale, and Cairon has stolen much from us. See these women and children?" He gestured to his people. "They have all lost husbands, brothers, sons. The children have lost fathers. A bandit raid took them from us, and we who were left behind would have been slaves if not for Hale. She saved us. Actually, I've never seen anyone fight with a sword quite like she does. Or fire insults as loudly." I chuckled.

"That sounds like Hale," I said with a smile. Kay laughed.

"She's quite the little spitfire, isn't she?" He agreed. I shook my head, bemused. Then I let my smile drop.

"Are you certain you and your people wish to get involved?" I asked gently. "We have no guarantee that we'll win." Kay nodded somberly.

"I know. But it's not like we have anywhere else to go. And Hale is one of us now."

"Yeah!" Little Isolde came bouncing over with Gwaine the marten in tow. Alec followed his sister like a lost puppy.

"We missed Ain-Hale," Alec announced loudly. I ruffled his hair.

"I'm sure she missed you too, little one. She missed you very much." Alec beamed.

"You're nice, mister," he said.

"And handsome," Isolde added. "Say, are you Hale's husband?" she asked innocently. I started laughing.

"No, child. Hale is not married. However, see that man over there?" I pointed to Gwaine. "I believe he wishes to marry her some day." Isolde's eyes grew wide.

"Really? That's so romantic!"

Alec made a face, and looked up at Kay. "Awww. I thought she was gonna marry Kay. Or me when I grow up." Isolde smacked him lightly.

"No silly, she can't marry you! You're too little." Both Kay and I were trying to hide smirks. Alec stomped his feet.

"Nuh uh! One day I'm gonna grow big and strong and-and I'm gonna marry Hale! You just wait and see!" Perhaps I should tell Gwaine about his diminutive competition.

"Reeeeally?" Isolde drawled. "Well you better be _really_ big and strong if you wanna protect Hale. She saved _you_, remember? And she kicked those bandits' butts too! I'm gonna be as strong as her when I grow up." Kay and I watched in amusement as the children started bickering about who would be stronger.

"Are they always like this?" I asked. Kay shook his head.

"Nah, they're normally more quiet. They're just excited to see Hale again." And so we sat back and watched the verbal spar become physical as Isolde chased Alec in circles. Watching the chase, I found myself looking forward to traveling with Hale's gypsies.


	29. Chapter 28: Gypsy Woman

**Chapter 28: Gypsy Woman**

_**GWAINE**_

I was surprised by how quickly Lancelot and Kay hit it off. Lancelot was a nice guy, but he was reserved. I suppose it was Kay's "leadership charisma" or whatever.

The two approached the campfire each holding a child. Lancelot had a little girl by the hand while Kay was holding a little boy back - presumably her brother. They seemed to be arguing about something.

"… I'll prove you wrong! I'm gonna marry Hale!" the boy cried. Huh?

"You gotta be able to protect her, stupid!" the girl shouted back. "You can't do nothing when you're that small!"

"I told you, I'm gonna get stronger!" the boy screamed. "Are you deaf or something?"

"What's going on here?" All eyes turned to Hale who walked up with a stern expression on her face. The boy quickly detached himself from Kay and hugged Hale's legs. Then he took a deep breath.

"I'mgonnagetstrongerwhenIgrowupsowecangetmarriedsodon'tmarryanyoneelsenotthatbrownhairedguyovertherenotevenKayeventhoughhe'sstrongandsmartandstuffbutIswearI'mgonnagrowreallybigsoIcanprotectyouandyeah." The boy slumped over panting. Hale blinked.

"I'm sorry Alec, I didn't quite catch that. Could you repeat it?" Alec's face went red.

"I'm gonna get stronger and marry you when I grow up," he repeated, hiding his face. Hale started giggling and kneeled down with some difficulty.

"That's very kind of you, Alec," she said sweetly. "But I think you're going to find someone else. Besides, you're much too young to be thinking of marriage already!" Alec pouted.

"Anyway, I think it's time for you and your sister to go to bed," Hale added.

"But I'm not sleepy!" Alec whined.

"Well, too bad, son." Kay sauntered over and grabbed the boy. "You need to sleep. How about I sing you a lullaby, hmm?" Alec immediately brightened.

"Yeah! Sing the one-"

"Sing the Druid song! The one for the princess!" Isolde interrupted. She scrambled over to sit next to Kay, who laughed at the children's eagerness.

"As you wish, my lady," he said gallantly. Then he took a deep breath.

"_Walk onto the path ahead, you'll see yourself the things unsaid. Of past and future though it's dim, the light ahead it seems so grim. But nay nay, we shall say nay, as the evil of night takes over day. Walk into the lion's den. The past it will repeat again. Treading on a road you know. The sweet waters seem to flow. Traveling on the road beyond what you knew is now gone. The hearts you will have to mend, will then bring our story to an end. But nay nay, we shall say nay, as the evil of night takes over day. Nay nay! We shall sing nay, as the rain takes away the pain and dismay._"

The song sent chills down my spine. There was power in those words, and it made me anxious.

"That song…" Hale started. "You sang it when we were captured by the bandits. What did Isolde mean by 'it's for the princess?'"

"Like I told you before, the song was meant to guide the princess… of… Actica…" His voice trailed off. He and Hale exchanged wide eyed glances.

"No…" he whispered. "The song of the Druids was meant… for you?" Hale looked shaken.

"It can't be -"

"But it was." We turned towards the source of the interruption. The children's mother - I'd learned her name was Vivian - stood there with a resigned expression.

"Mama? What do you mean?" Isolde asked. Her mother shifted nervously.

"Hale, I haven't been… entirely honest with you, I'm afraid." Hale reeled back like she'd been slapped.

"To start with… I was not always a gypsy. I was born a Druid. I'm a descendent of the Druids that were attacked by Cairon, which is how I knew Cairon's history so well. I left to travel with my husband, may his soul rest in peace." Her husband was dead?

"My husband, along with all the other men except Kay, was killed in the bandit attack," Vivian answered my questioning look. "I miss him, but I don't regret the life we lived. I'll always remember him, and raise our children to the best of my ability." She smiled and stroked Isolde's hair. Then her face turned grim.

"On a related note, that is not the entire song. Actually, it isn't a song at all. It's a prophecy." A prophecy? That would explain the feeling I had earlier.

"The entire prophecy goes like this," she said. "_Walk onto the path ahead, you'll see yourself the things unsaid. Of the past and future though it's dim, the light ahead it seems so grim. Walk into the lion's den. The past it will repeat again. Treading on a road you know, the sweet waters seem to flow. Though a battle's on the brink, two more lives will interlink. Wait for her, she'll guide you through where the silver lights look so few. Where Sky and Earth seem to meet, you'll see a dancer on the whitest sheet. When every lie turns into truth, you'll see old eyes full of youth. Something small full of rage - you release it from its cage. Traveling on the road beyond. What you knew is now gone. The hearts you will have to mend will then bring your story to an end._"

Vivian gazed at us sadly.

"The prophecy spells Cairon's downfall, and it is said that he will be defeated by a warrior wielding a specific sword." Her eyes turned to Hale's scabbard. "The sword's name was Leuxs. However, the sword's master was destined to lose everything." Vivian closed her eyes.

"While the prophecy was meant to guide the princess, I thought that the wielder of the sword and the princess were two very different people. But…" Here her voice wavered. "Hale, you are Leuxs' master. When I first saw your sword, I knew what it meant. But I didn't want to believe it. As far as I knew, you were just a poor lost soul who happened upon the sword by chance. Then I found out you were Actica's lost princess. I'm so sorry, dear, but… well… From what you've told me, it seems you have already fulfilled about half the prophecy."

And without a word Hale took off into the trees. Both Kay and I leapt to our feet to chase after her, but something in the gypsy's face made me pause. A sheer determination and something else. It was something I recognized, but I couldn't admit to it. Hale did forget everything, or at least that is what she says. Which means she forgot what happened between us. However, she spent weeks with the gypsies; it wasn't impossible that their affections for one another grew over time. But thinking about that just made me angry, as if I couldn't be more angry with Hale. It was irrational, I knew, but the pain and hurt she caused me was…

"Hey lover boy!" Someone yelled at me and I was instantaneously snapped out of my thoughts, "stop looking like an abandoned puppy, and let's get you patched up," Vivian continued in a gentler voice.

I sat back down and she cleared some of my wounds from the battle. As she did, I surveyed the scene around me.

Apparently many of the men were too injured to go on. The gypsies had offered to provide refuge for those fallen knights. Leon, Percival and Elyan were collecting the bodies of the man-beasts. It had taken us a while, but we finally figured out that the only way to kill the beasts was with a blow to the head. That caused quite a few problems considering how our enemies towered over us. Many of the knights took to overbalancing the monsters then hitting them while they were down. Soon there were three piles of bodies that were being planned to burn.

I felt a tap on my torso and looked back at Vivian.

"You're all patched up," she said. I nodded at her, a silent thanks. Without further acknowledgement I stood and started walking in the direction Kay and Hale had run, but Vivian stopped me.

"I see the way you look at the girl. But I advise against any romantic involvement with her, Gwaine."

I was offended. Who was she to tell me what to do? I'd had enough of this dancing around - perhaps it was time to confront Hale about everything. I walked up to Vivian and grabbed her arm.

"You don't know anything about me and Hale," I snarled. I shoved her back a little too violently. And she gasped. To my frustration, I saw that the whole camp was looking our way. I exhaled deeply and spat on the ground.

One of the knights covered in bandages and healing ointments, Sir Jeremiah, was on the ground staring at me. I stared back. "What the hell you lot looking at?!" I addressed everyone.

Everyone looked away but whispered to one another. I noticed Lancelot looking at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

Percival walked to me from across the camp. His burly size was almost equivalent to our fallen enemies, yet he had the face and eyes of a sad child.

"Gwaine," he spoke in his low voice, "what's been eating at you?"

I sighed and turned away from him, and chose to look up at the tall trees that surrounded us, "Nothing, mate."

"Come on. I don't believe you," Percival said more insistently.

"Well you better, because I am perfectly fine!" I snapped before storming off. I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince Percival or myself.


	30. Chapter 29: Reinforcements

**Chapter 29: Reinforcements**

_**HALE**_

All I could do was run. After everything that I had heard, the most troubling wasn't the part about me having a great responsibility to destroy the most dangerous sorcerer who had ever lived. It was that nowhere in the prophecy did it say that I would succeed. And when I say succeed I mean survive.

I was angry. I was angry at Vivian for knowing so much and keeping it from me until now. I was angry at Gwaine who treated me with so much regret and resentment. I was angry at Cairon for destroying the good life I once had, but mostly I was enraged by Arianrhod, because secretly I wished she had kept me dead. There was only so much suffering one girl could take.

I ran until my legs could not take me any farther, and my lungs ached as I wailed in anger. Tears streamed down my face, and I kicked a tree in frustration.

And then I felt a hand on my shoulder and I swung out not really caring who it was that would meet my fist, but they dodged it and pulled me into a strong embrace.

Kay's familiar embrace did it for me. I started to sob. All of the anger melted away until I was just a pathetic, blubbering mass in the arms of a man. Never in my life did I think I would end up like this. Part of me wanted to pull away from him because I felt like a weakling, but the other half of me was too fed up to care.

It was Kay who pushed away from me so that we were standing face to face. He held onto my arms and his dark eyes gazed into mine.

"Hale, you are not alone."

I wiped the tears and the snot that was, embarrassingly enough, streaming down as well.

"I don't know if you noticed Kay, but there was no mention of knights and gypsies by my side in the prophecy at all. So don't tell me I am not alone. In the end it's going to be just me."

His calm eyes became stern and his eyebrows knitted together. And then he suddenly, yet tenderly he kissed my lips. I was too stunned to speak.

He smirked, "That's right, don't _you_ dare tell me you are doing this alone."

I looked at him, and suddenly for the first time in a long while I felt an extreme wave of confusion. As we walked back to join the others, I couldn't help but think about the differences between the only two men I'd ever kissed.

* * *

><p>No one looked up as Kay and I trudged back to the camp. Vivian and the children had disappeared somewhere. I guess I hadn't caused as much of a commotion as I thought.<p>

_Squeak?_ Little Gwaine the marten nudged my foot. I smiled and picked him up.

"Hey there, Gwaine," I said as I stroked the small animal. That's when I realized the human Gwaine was nowhere to be seen. I wasn't sure how to feel about that. Should I be relieved that I wouldn't have to confront him immediately? Or should I be upset he didn't come after me like Kay did? Speaking of which…

I rounded on the blond at my side.

"Why did you do it?" I demanded. He blinked at me.

"Why did I do what?" he asked.

"You know!" I cried. "Why did you k-kiss me?" My voice lowered towards the end of the sentence. Kay raised an eyebrow.

"Because I wanted to. And you needed a bit of cheering up," he said. It was my turn to blink.

"But… you… and that's… you can't just… what?" I spluttered incoherently. Kay started laughing.

"Don't worry too much about it. I'm not expecting anything from you - you're already under enough pressure." His gaze softened. "But I did mean every word I said, Hale. You are not alone."

I wasn't able to respond as excited shouts suddenly rang out. Our comrades seemed to be converging on something. Kay and I exchanged glances then took off at a run.

"What's going on?" I asked as we approached the group. Gwen ran up to me.

"The runners!" she panted. "The runners we sent to ask for aid have returned!" My eyes widened.

"What did they say?" I demanded. If Camelot's allies refused to help…

My fears were put to rest as Gwen grinned.

"They've agreed to aid us!" she said happily. "The runners said it took quite a bit of convincing, but evidently they know Cairon's grown far too powerful for one kingdom to handle alone. And guess what? Even Uther is reconsidering! Oh, Arthur is so pleased…" Even Uther? While this was the first good news we've had in a while, I couldn't help but be saddened by the cause.

"This couldn't have come at a better time either, what with so many men injured," Kay chimed in.

"But if the kingdoms are willing to unite, and even Uther is willing to help, then Cairon must have grown bolder," I said softly. Gwen's face fell.

"Yes," she said quietly. "But now there's hope. We actually have a chance of bringing this madness to an end." I nodded solemnly.

"Is Arthur sending the runners back with the battle plan?" I asked.

"Yes," Gwen replied. "Everyone will meet on the outskirts of Actica. We'll go over the strategies one last time, and then we will fight. Unfortunately, we don't have time to train with our allies so it will be a bit like going in blind. But training requires time, and that is a luxury we can no longer afford." She bit her lip.

"And hopefully, we'll find Merlin when we get there," she said quietly. "If he's really as strong as I've heard, then Cairon will probably keep him close."

"Probably," I agreed, even though I had a feeling Merlin's prison wasn't within Actica. I debated about recounting my dream to her, but decided against it. It would only cause her more worry.

My mouth was set in a grim line. Everything was coming to a head now. One way or another, this would all end soon.

* * *

><p>"Wake up, boy!" Water splashed onto Merlin's face, startling him from sleep. He coughed and shook off any excess liquid.<p>

"What do you want?" he asked tiredly.

"Aw, what's the matter, Emrys? No clever quip this time?" Morgana waited for a reply that never came.

"Tsk tsk, you truly are pathetic. She was only one girl, and you didn't even know her that long!" Merlin's head snapped up at that.

"I may not have known her long, but she was brave and kind and possessed the kind of strength you can only dream of!" he spat. Morgana's lip curled.

"Strength? Don't make me laugh," she sneered. "She died easily for someone who was supposedly strong." Merlin glowered at the witch. Then his face crumpled.

"What happened to you, Morgana?" he asked sadly. "When we first met, you were such a kind and brave soul. In many ways, you were like Hale. Feisty, determined, unafraid to speak your mind, but loyal to a fault. You treated Gwen, your servant, like family. Hell, you even risked your life to save hers at one point. Arthur and Uther drove you crazy sometimes, but you loved them. Everyone in the kingdom loved you and respected you." He paused, then continued, "I respected you. You were a close friend of mine, which made your betrayal hurt that much more. I can't even begin to imagine how much pain you caused Gwen and Arthur -"

"_My_ betrayal?!" Morgana screeched. "You tried to kill me!" Merlin closed his eyes.

"I didn't want to," he whispered. "But killing you was the only way to save the kingdom at the time. And even before that, you tried to betray Uther on several occasions." He opened his eyes to meet Morgana's gaze. To his surprise, she looked pensive and maybe even a little regretful. But the moment was fleeting and her eyes hardened once again.

"We've both adapted to our circumstances," she said stiffly. Then her confident smirk was back.

"It's a pity you chose Arthur over me, Merlin," Morgana said sweetly. "You could have had it all. Imagine what we could do, you and I. We'd be unstoppable!" She threw her arms out for emphasis.

"It's not too late, you know," the witch remarked. "You could still help us. The fools plan on attacking Cairon in Actica. Come on, for old time's sake?" Merlin regarded her coldly.

"I would never help my friend's murderer, or my prince's wanna-be killer. Not even for the friendship we used to share." Morgana huffed.

"Suit yourself. I didn't think you'd do it anyway. Now, I must go assist in the coming battle. Enjoy rotting away in here while your friends die." She strode out of the room, leaving the world's most powerful sorcerer in complete darkness.


	31. Chapter 30: War

**Chapter 30: War**

_**LANCELOT**_

Shortly after the runners were sent off, we packed up and continued our journey. Gwaine returned right as we were leaving. We left the injured with some of the gypsies, who promised to take excellent care of our men. Kay wanted to go with us, but eventually decided to stay. If something happened, the gypsies and injured knights would need a capable fighter to protect them. Normally I'd be apprehensive about leaving our comrades with strangers, but I trusted Hale's judgement. Speaking of which…

"Hale? Can you come over here for a moment?" She meandered over from where she'd been walking with Kay and Gwen.

"What is it, Lancelot?" she asked. I gestured away from everyone else.

"Walk with me," I said, taking off at a modest trot. Once we were out of earshot of the group, but still in sight, I turned to my companion.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

Hale forced a smile. "Absolutely! I've been waiting to kick that monster's arse for ages!"

"Don't lie to me, Hale." That shut her up.

"Is it Gwaine?" I asked.

"What makes you think that?" she replied a little too quickly.

"He blew up at Vivian earlier. Shouted something about not knowing him or you." Hale's face went red.

"He _what_?" Hale cried. She stomped her foot and grumbled insults under her breath.

"Hale, what exactly is going on with you and Gwaine? You two have been acting strange around each other since the Gray Owl." She narrowed her eyes at me.

"Why are you so interested, Lancelot? It's not like you to involve yourself in others' affairs," she growled.

I ignored the less-than-subtle hint to back off and pressed, "Because whatever is going on with you two is affecting the entire camp, and tensions are running high as is. I'm always afraid to leave you alone with each other because I fear I'll find at least one corpse when I return." Hale looked down.

"It's complicated," she whispered. I ran a hand through my hair in exasperation.

"It's always complicated," I uncharacteristically grumbled. "Perhaps he's simply jealous of the time you've been spending with Kay?" Hale's head whipped up.

"What?" she gasped. I resisted the urge to slap my forehead.

"I've noticed you and Kay are awfully close. Everyone has." Hale frowned.

"But Gwaine was acting strange before we met up with Kay and the others," she argued. I sighed.

"Well then, did anything else happen?"

"Not with Gwaine…" she murmured. She glanced at me then looked down again. She was silent for quite some time, as if she was arguing with herself.

"I remembered everything." That stopped me in my tracks.

"What?" I gasped. Hale shifted from foot to foot.

"I had another vision, before we found the Gray Owl, but it was interrupted by my mother who decided the 'time was right' or something to give me back my memories -"

"Wait," I interrupted. "Your mother?"

"Oh didn't I tell you? My mother is the White Lady, Arianrhod. That's how Ide, Jade and I are related. Apparently she's in charge of protecting these lands, though a fat lot of good she's done so far. She implied that I'm supposed to take care of Cairon! I guess even goddesses can go senile…" My mind was working furiously. Of course! Everything made sense now. Hale's mysterious past, her power, why Cairon had been so determined to kill her… Arianrhod was the missing link.

"So Hale and Cairon are pawns of the gods," I murmured. "Hale represents Arianrhod while Cairon represents Gilfaethwy."

"Hey!" she cried. "I am no one's pawn!" I waved my hands pacifyingly.

"Right right!" I agreed nervously. "I am merely speculating. Don't mind my rambling." Hale sent me a glare. Then her expression crumpled.

"Poor Merlin. The vision my mother interrupted… I saw Merlin and Morgana. The witch told him that I was dead. He thinks I'm dead, Lancelot!" Her worry must have been mirrored on my face. "I mean, that also means our enemies don't know I'm alive either but still…"

"Have you told anyone else about this?" I asked urgently. She shook her head. "Good. Only tell those closest to you. The fewer people who know, the better." Jaw set, she nodded solemnly. With nothing left to say, and much to think about, we rejoined our hopeful comrades.

* * *

><p>It took us about another week to travel to Actica. But at the first sign of the mountains, Hale cried out in glee, "There it is!"<p>

It was impressive indeed. Mountains soared majestically above us - some were so tall they disappeared into the clouds. The mountainsides were steep and craggy, and yet a lush layer of green somehow managed to cover most of the cliffs. These mountains were clearly untamable, which led me to wonder how Actica survived.

"The kingdom is at the base of the mountains," Hale answered my unspoken question. "While we do sometimes build into or on the mountains, for the most part they just provide protection. Like nature's very own bodyguards."

"Have you ever gone up the mountains?" I asked.

"I've tried, but it always got too steep for me to get to the top. The mountains are riddled with caves though, so I've explored some of those," Hale replied.

"That's nice," Arthur interrupted. "But we need to focus. Now, where are our allies?" he wondered aloud.

"Over there!" Hale pointed in the distance where we could see hundreds of men gathering. I was pleased to see some bearing the Camelot crest.

_So Uther came around after all_, I thought. Arthur noticed as well.

"Welcome, knights of Camelot!" he cried. "Welcome, friends!" The prince was smiling from ear to ear, despite the reason for this meeting. Those in our group were similarly excited. Welcoming cries and shouts of recognition sounded all over.

The greetings went on for quite some time before Arthur managed to gain everyone's attention.

"I hate to cut the greetings short, especially since the coming battle is so uncertain, but we must focus," the prince said. Everyone sobered up immediately.

"My men and I have come up with a plan of attack. Although the runners should have informed you of this, I want to meet in person to figure out how we will execute our strategy. Would each leader please come up to me so we can discuss this? The rest of you can polish weapons, get some sleep, or otherwise prepare yourselves." Our allied leaders stepped forward while everyone else began to set up some sort of camp.

Negotiations and planning lasted for hours. Most of the men had fallen asleep, trying to get some rest before the chaos began. I was one of the few awake when the leaders finally dispersed, Arthur bringing up the rear.

"Well?" I asked the prince quietly.

"Everything's been sorted out. We'll go over the plan with the men tomorrow before we strike," Arthur replied. He clapped me on the shoulder. "Get some sleep, Lancelot. You're going to need it."

* * *

><p>Before dawn the next day, everyone was roused and ready to fight. Arthur explained everything in detail, and the different groups were ready to get into position.<p>

"Remember men, this is it. All of our fates and the fate of our kingdoms depend on the outcome of this battle. Fight with courage and honor, and know you have chosen the right path. We will be victorious!" Arthur ended his speech. While we couldn't cheer in case we attracted unwanted attention, a silent wave of support rippled throughout the group.

But before we could move out, an eerie cackle echoed around us. All of us drew our weapons and frantically searched for the source of the horrid laugh. It couldn't be…

"How sweet. You actually think you have a chance, Arthur Pendragon," the voice sneered. The look of horror on Hale's face confirmed the speaker's identity. This must be Cairon.

"I must admit, I'm impressed you made it this far. To be honest, I debated about doing away with you long before this, but I wanted to see if you could actually rally an army. And you did. Congratulations, princeling, you've successfully led all the kingdoms' armies to their deaths." Arthur's face paled. Cairon chuckled.

"What's the matter, my lord? Afraid you'll fail your other friends the way you failed your servant? Although I suppose since he was only a servant, his absence was more of an inconvenience than a tragedy."

"What have you done with Merlin?!" Arthur roared.

The monster's laughter grew louder and he continued as if Arthur hadn't spoken. "My, what an inconvenience indeed! Such power… did you know of his power? Is that why you kept him? Is that why your friend, the princess, died looking for him?"

"I'll ask once more," Arthur hissed between gritted teeth. "What have you done with him?"

"I've locked him away. It's a bit of poetic justice, you see. My former prison now contains my enemy." Cairon's former prison. Was he referring to the cave where he was sealed?

"I could go on, but words are wasted on dead men," Cairon continued. "Don't even try to execute that little plan of yours; you will be slaughtered. You can try to fight back, but my army will tear you apart. We'll be waiting for you in front of the castle."

"YOU COWARD!" a voice shouted vehemently. All eyes turned to Hale, who was livid.

A pause, then, "No… It can't be…"

"How dare you pretend to be better than us when you won't even face us in combat?" Hale screamed. "You, who relies on dirty tricks and shameless manipulation to achieve your goals!" She laughed bitterly.

"And even then, you can't even kill one woman properly! Admittedly, it was probably smart to try, but you made a fatal mistake when you so arrogantly assumed I was dead. That's going to cost you, uncle dearest." A gasp rippled through the ranks. Hale, what are you doing, riling him up like this?

"You… you wretched BRAT!" Cairon shrieked. Hale raised her sword above her head.

"We're coming for you, Cairon," she called. "Your reign of terror is over. I myself will strike you down." She turned to the rest of us.

"Don't fear this sorry, spineless excuse for a man. He is weak, but we are strong." Hale smiled. "We will take back this land, even if we die trying. Now march!" she cried. "We haven't a moment to lose! Let's show this bastard just how unwise it is to oppose us!" A roar of approval met her words before everyone charged towards the castle.

As promised, the clearing surrounding Hale's former home was filled with the enemy army. Many were human men, but scattered among the crowd I spotted some of the tattooed creatures from before along with many other unfamiliar dark creatures. Every enemy wielded at least one weapon, if not several, and their armor gleamed black in the sun. There were so many of them it was if an obsidian sea lay between us and the once beautiful castle.

The two opposing factions regarded each other curiously for a moment, and then Arthur gave the command to charge.

"For Albion!" Arthur roared. We all bellowed our affirmation. And thus, pandemonium erupted.


	32. Chapter 31: Splitting Up

**Chapter 31: Splitting Up**

_**GWAINE**_

It was absolute chaos.

Screams of pain and rage echoed from seemingly every throat present. Weapons, limbs and sometimes even people went flying. And within moments, the entire field was soaked in red.

I myself let out a bellow as I charged an enemy, slicing his head off in one move. His blood added another layer of dark crimson to the ground around me. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to revel as more enemies practically sprang out of nowhere.

"Goddamn it!" I cursed.

The sheer number of enemies was overwhelming. Every time I finished off an opponent, at least another three took their place. As if their numbers weren't daunting enough, their strength was enormous. I'm positive at least half of Cairon's forces weren't human. Perhaps the evil sorcerer created them himself.

I saw Hale out of the corner of my eye ducking and weaving to defeat her enemies. I took a moment to admire her grace and deadly efficiency before shaking my head furiously. This was not the time to daydream - I mean, analyze my companion's skill.

I ducked and rolled as one of the beasts from the forest swung at my head. I sprang to my feet the moment I was behind it and stabbed it in the head. The beast keeled over and crushed some other enemies with its weight. I smirked in victory.

"One down, thousands more to go," I sighed to myself. I brought my sword up to block an attack from the left. Hmm, it seemed this opponent was human.

"You'll never beat us!" he snarled. I rolled my eyes.

"If I had a coin for every time I heard that…" I grumbled. No really, I'd be rich by now if I did.

The man growled and pushed his sword harder against mine. I grunted and dug my feet into the ground to avoid sliding back. We glared at each other over our weapons.

Finally, my opponent grew impatient and leapt back. I kept my sword out in front of me. He suddenly grinned.

"Looks like it's the end for you," he said gleefully. I froze in confusion, and that nearly cost me my life. From behind me, I heard the telltale slash of a sword and jumped aside just in time. A second man thrust his sword into the ground where I had been standing a moment ago.

"Two against one? And trying to get me from behind? That's not very nice," I chided before stabbing the second man and decapitating the first. Both bodies hit the ground with a thud.

I wiped the sweat off my brow. The nonstop fighting was definitely taking its toll on me. I could see the others were having a hard time too. Slowly but surely, we were being overwhelmed.

Cairon was right. We were doomed.

Suddenly, I noticed Hale freeze in the middle of the battlefield. _What was she doing?!_ Her opponent halted mid-charge, clearly confused as well.

"HALE!" I screamed as I dove for her. I barely managed to parry a blow from her now aware opponent. Caught off guard, the enemy stumbled back which gave me an opening to spear them through the heart. As the corpse fell, I carried the woman in my arms out of harm's way.

"What were you -" I stopped when I saw Hale's face. Upon closer inspection, I realized her eyes were glassy and unfocused, as if her mind was somewhere else.

Small claws grasped at my clothing. I turned my head to see Hale's marten scrambling to get on my shoulder. A gasp from Hale brought my attention back to her.

"Hale?" I questioned. She sat up so fast we nearly knocked heads.

"Gah! Sorry," she apologized. "But we need to go, now!"

"Go where?" I asked. "There's nowhere to go!" She shook her head frantically. Gwaine the marten took the opportunity to jump off my shoulder onto hers.

"You don't understand! We need to find Merlin!" she cried. I sighed.

"Hale, we're all worried about Merlin, but we can't just abandon everyone for him. Look around you! We're being slaughtered!"

"And that's exactly why we need Merlin!" Hale snapped back. "He's the most powerful sorcerer in history - we'll need his help to tip the balance. I'd just go and challenge Cairon myself, but apparently I'm most powerful when I'm with my sisters and who knows where they are."

"Okay," I said slowly. "I get that. But we don't even know -"

"I know where he is," she interrupted. "My mother just sent me a vision!" I blinked rapidly.

"Your mother…?" I began but she was already on her feet.

"We'll need a small team of powerful fighters, probably a healer too," she muttered to herself. "But we need to leave now! I wish I could take Arthur with us, but he's needed here…" She grabbed my arm.

"Will you come with me?" she pleaded. _Hell no, I'm not going on some wild goose chase_, is what I wanted to tell her, but the way she was looking at me…

I am so screwed.

"Grrr, fine," I agreed reluctantly. The smile she gave me almost made my rash decision worth it. Almost.

"Thank you. Now, I want to take Gwen as well, not only will she be able to treat Merlin, but she may also be able to reason with Morgana. And Morgana will be there, maybe even Mordred too. One more person should do it."

"I'll go." The two of us turned to see Elyan. He frowned at Hale.

"If you're bringing Gwen, I'm going too. She's all the family I have left," he said sternly. Hale nodded.

"That settles it, then. Come, let's grab Gwen and go," Hale decided.

"Shouldn't we let someone know first?" I argued.

"Fine. You go find Arthur or Lancelot or someone and let them know. And give them this." She muttered something and then handed me a charm. "The Druid seer gave it to me. It's a way to call the Druids to our aid. I've activated the spell, so all the user needs to do is ask for the Druids' assistance." I took the charm and stuffed it in my pocket. "Elyan and I will bring Gwen back here," Hale finished. We nodded at each other and took off in separate directions.

I fought and weaved my way through the chaotic battlefield until I finally spotted a familiar face. Lancelot was dodging and slashing and generally living up to his title as one of Camelot's knights.

"Lancelot!" I called, wading my way through the enemy army towards him.

"Hello Gwaine," he said politely before decapitating an enemy running at him.

"Hale, Elyan, Gwen and I," I forced out between slashes and parries. "Are going after Merlin. Hale had a vision and believes he's our only hope."

"But what about Ide and Jade? Aren't the three sisters practically unstoppable when they're together?" Lancelot asked.

"She doesn't know where they are. The vision only showed Merlin's location, I guess," I replied. "Oh, and take this." I threw him the charm, which he caught with ease.

"What is it?" he asked.

"A way to contact the Druids should you need it. Hale already activated the spell, all you have to do is ask for help," I said grimly. "Well, now I'm off to rescue good ol' Merlin. Just wanted to let you know in case we don't come back."

Somehow, Lancelot managed to nod at me. "Good luck then," he said. I nodded back before fighting my way back to where Hale, Elyan, and hopefully Gwen were waiting.

* * *

><p>We sprinted through the trees, Hale explaining things to Gwen as we ran. We hadn't gotten far before we heard the flapping of great wings. The wind was so powerful we had to stop and shield our eyes.<p>

"What the…?" Elyan gasped. I opened my eyes and gaped. I couldn't believe my eyes.

A dragon stood before us, proud and regal. Its scales seemed to constantly change color, bronze one minute and copper the next. With its head held high, it was at least as tall as three men. Its wings could have enfolded us ten times over. Though its eyes were distinctly reptilian, they held such a level of intelligence and wisdom I felt quite naive in comparison.

"You… I've seen you before," Hale stammered. The dragon inclined its head.

"Indeed you have, little one," he intoned. I assumed it was a he as the voice was deep and rumbling.

"You're Merlin's friend!" Hale exclaimed. Wait, _what_? The dragon looked startled as well, then he chuckled.

"Correct again, my dear. Heh, you are an unusual one, aren't you? Most people would scream something along the lines of, 'you're a dragon!' instead of 'you're a friend!'" The dragon drew himself up. "I am Kilgharrah, one of the last of my kind."

"W-wait a minute. How… you're a dragon! How can you be Merlin's friend? And how the hell has he managed to keep this a secret for so long?! Magic is one thing, but a giant dragon…!" I cried, thoroughly freaked out. Kilgharrah sniffed haughtily.

"Along with being a powerful sorcerer, Merlin is also a Dragonlord. He is _the_ last of his kind." Our sweet, bumbling Merlin, a Dragonlord? The idea was almost inconceivable. I was stunned into silence. Hale, on the other hand, was not.

"Have you come to help us, then?" she asked urgently. Kilgharrah nodded.

"Normally, I would not lower myself to transporting humans like a common horse." Um, thanks? "But the situation is dire. I will fly you to the young warlock's location," he said. Then he crouched down. _You have got to be kidding me_, I thought.

"Hurry, we don't have time to lose," he said. Elyan, Gwen and I eyed the dragon apprehensively, but Hale happily hopped on.

"Come on, you guys!" she called. The marten perched on her shoulder chittered. The three of us (sane) humans glanced at each other before approaching the legendary beast.

* * *

><p>Merlin stared listlessly at the wall. At least, he thought there was a wall. It's hard to tell when you can't see anything.<p>

Out of habit, he briefly struggled against his restraints for the thousandth time. If at first you don't succeed, try try again? Nope, still as strong as ever.

He felt tears pricking his eyes again. But he shook his head furiously.

_No. Crying won't solve anything at this point. My friends are strong, they will find a way to overcome this_, Merlin thought.

_Indeed they will, young warlock._

_See? Even my subconscious agrees with me!_ Merlin suddenly banged his head back against the ground. _Oh dear, I've really lost my mind now, haven't I? Talking to my subconscious like this…_

_You are not mad, young warlock. It is I, Kilgharrah._

_KILGHARRAH?!_ Merlin shot back up. _What are you doing in my head?_ he thought happily. It was so good to hear a familiar, friendly voice after weeks either in solitude or with Morgana.

_Your confinement is coming to an end_, the dragon spoke in Merlin's mind. _Four of your friends and I are on our way to you as we speak. Er, think. You've found some powerful allies, Emrys._

_Who?_ Merlin thought excitedly. _Who is coming?_

_The ones called Gwaine, Elyan, Gwen, and Hale._ Merlin froze.

_H-Hale?_ the sorcerer thought tentatively. _T-that's not possible. She's… she's dead!_

_Not so, young warlock. Indeed, she did die for a bit but her mother restored her to life. She is very anxious to see you._

A joy unlike any he'd felt in recent weeks filled Merlin's heart. So his friends were alright!

_What of the others?_ Merlin thought urgently. _Arthur, Lancelot, the knights…?_

_They are in Actica, battling Cairon's forces_, Kilgharrah thought grimly. _They are losing. They need your help. Your friends are risking much to bring you back to the battlefield._

_Why?_ Merlin wondered. _I'm a servant. Why would they need my help?_

_They know, Merlin. They know who you really are._ Merlin's blood ran cold.

_All of them? Even Arthur?_ Merlin couldn't explain it, but he knew the dragon was nodding. _How… how did they react?_

_I do not know. I was not there when they found out. However, they are very worried about you and want to see you safely with them. I would assume that's a good sign._ Merlin breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe his friends didn't hate him after all.

_Thank you, Kilgharrah. When should I expect you?_

_This is a rescue mission, Merlin, not tea time._ Merlin winced at the annoyance in the dragon's tone.

_I know, I know, but I also don't know when Morgana or even Gilfaethwy will be back. I'll try everything I can to free myself, but the bonds are draining my magic. They have been for weeks._

_This isn't good, Merlin,_ the dragon thought worriedly. Merlin sighed.

_I know. Be careful, I wouldn't put it past them to set traps outside… wherever I am._

_Yes, young warlock. Prepare yourself._ Merlin felt the dragon's presence leave his mind. His eyes filled with fresh purpose, he struggled against his bonds with renewed vigor.


	33. Chapter 32: Surprise

**Chapter 32: Surprise**

_**HALE**_

Merlin is so lucky. I wish I had a dragon friend.

The view from a dragon's back is stunning. Mountains it would have had taken weeks to traverse on foot we zipped over in moments. Roaring rivers looked like tiny trickles from up high. The wind blew my hair back, possibly blinding whoever was behind me but I didn't care. The air felt nice against my sweaty, battle-weary skin.

"I am so jealous, Kilgharrah!" I shouted. "I wish I could fly!" The dragon's body rumbled with his laugh.

"Perhaps someday you will learn to become one with the wind," he called back.

"You're crazy!" Elyan shouted. I glanced back to see him clinging to his sister for dear life. "This is madness!"

"Why Elyan," I teased. "Are you afraid of heights?"

"No! I just prefer to have my feet safely on the ground!" he yelled back.

"That's the same thing," I deadpanned. Both Gwaine and Gwen were stifling laughs.

"Is not!" Elyan insisted.

"We are almost there," Kilgharrah interrupted. We all looked ahead to see a steep, craggy mountain looming in the distance. The mountainside was dotted with a few trees, but otherwise bare. A cave entrance yawned over a flat ledge, which dropped off at a straight right angle. Thank goodness for Kilgharrah, I don't think we could have climbed that on foot.

There was something about the mountain that made me uneasy, and it took me a while to put my finger on it. Although from a distance everything looked normal, the place was eerily silent. It was as if all the living creatures there, if any, were either dead or too afraid to make noise.

"Be warned, they probably know -" At that moment the dragon was forced to swerve away from an airborne fireball.

"That we're here," he finished calmly.

"They?" Gwen repeated.

"Yes. Both Morgana and Gilfaethwy have come to greet us," the dragon replied. Oh no. Morgana, we might stand a chance against if we all worked together. But Gilfaethwy? That was a completely different story.

"You young ones take care of the witch and free Merlin," Kilgharrah commanded as soon as we touched the ground. "I will handle the god." The four of us nodded and leapt off, running towards the cave's mouth. I chanced a glance back at Kilgharrah to see him challenging Gilfaethwy, who had mysteriously appeared. Satisfied the dragon could hold his own, I ran after my companions into the cave.

* * *

><p>I found my friends just as Gwaine and Elyan broke down a door in the wall. The room beyond was rather small and dark. We all rushed inside and gasped.<p>

"Hey there," Merlin said weakly. "Long time no see, huh?" Gwen covered her mouth in horror. Our missing friend was half lying on the ground, half propped up against the wall. His body was bound in layers of chains, and even from the doorway I could tell they were enchanted. Merlin's face was sallow and his body was dangerously thin. The paleness of his skin - he was nearly translucent - made his various cuts and bruises stand out even more. How often had they fed him? Did they torture him?

I was shaking in fury. How dare they treat my friend like that? My three companions wore similar expressions of outrage.

Merlin squinted against the sudden onslaught of light.

"Where's Arthur?" he asked.

"He's fighting off Cairon's forces in Actica. So are the knights of Camelot along with our allies from other kingdoms," Elyan replied.

"He's still in Actica?!" Merlin panicked. "What the hell is he thinking, challenging Cairon's forces like that? We can't afford to lose him!"

"It is as I've always said. Arthur Pendragon is an incompetent fool." Standing in the doorway with a sinister grin was none other than Morgana.

"So are you, for presuming to take Merlin back with you. Although, I have to give you credit for finding this place. The barriers around it should have protected anyone from using magic to reveal its location. And there's no way you were simply wandering around this area. It's inaccessible by foot or horseback." The witch scrutinized me carefully. "I know the dragon brought you here, but that doesn't explain how you found this place. So tell me, how did you do it?"

"Does it matter?" I snarled. "What will those details do for you once you're dead?" Morgana was momentarily shocked by the venom in my voice. Then she started laughing.

"Oh how cute," she purred. "You're like an angry kitten - snarling and hissing without realizing just how truly weak you are. Just how do you plan to defeat me when Emrys, or I suppose I should call him Merlin, could not? He is supposed to be the most powerful sorcerer ever, but it was so easy to kidnap him and drain his power."

The four of us standing tensed in anger. Instinctively, Gwaine, Elyan and I moved to stand in front of Merlin protectively. Behind us, Gwen knelt to see what she could do about Merlin's bonds.

"You'll pay for making him suffer, witch," Elyan spat. Then he charged at Morgana.

"Elyan!" Gwaine and I shouted in shock. Normally I would do that, but we weren't dealing with just any enemy here. Morgana was a powerful sorceress and would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.

"You are either very brave or very stupid," the witch drawled before raising a hand to cast a spell. I flung my hand out and telekinetically threw Morgana back. We took advantage of her surprise to draw our weapons.

"You have to be very careful from now on," I said. "Morgana is no ordinary opponent; she can and will use whatever means necessary, including nonverbal spells, to destroy us."

"Of course," the woman in question said. She rose to her feet and although she was smiling, her rage was poorly concealed.

"I told you before, Merlin. Your friends will die, and there is nothing you can do about it." Merlin snickered.

"Pride comes before a fall, Morgana," he retorted. "And you have an astoundingly unhealthy amount of pride." Morgana's features twisted into a sneer.

"We'll see about that. Tell me," she addressed the three of us ready to fight. "How painfully would you like to die?"


	34. Chapter 33: Swords and Spells

**Chapter 33: Swords and Spells**

_**LANCELOT**_

I parried the thousandth blow from the hundredth enemy then thrust my sword into his chest. He died instantly, but I had no time to relax as another opponent was soon on me. We exchanged fast, furious blows before he took a sword to the back, courtesy of one of our allies. I nodded at the man in thanks before we both rushed off to find new opponents.

I lost track of how long I'd been fighting. I lost count of how many enemies I'd killed. And ironically enough, the more I killed, the harder it became to fight. The ground beneath my feet was slick with blood and other unknown substances (not that I wanted to know what they were anyway). Bodies and body parts were scattered everywhere, which meant I had to constantly watch my step lest I stumble over a severed limb or two.

The others weren't faring much better. I watched several men downed not because their opponent was more skilled but because they tripped or slipped. It might have been comical if the trippers and slippers didn't die immediately afterwards.

"Die!" yet another enemy roared. It was one of the tattooed beasts from the forest. And this one seemed particularly large. He charged at me with his scythe raised above this head.

_I'm getting a distinct feeling of deja vu_, I thought dryly. I watched his movements carefully, I could not afford to miscalculate. As he swung down, I waited for the right opportunity to strike. There!

I jumped back just as his weapon struck the ground at my feet. He leaned into the scythe with the force of his blow. Since his head was lowered, I was able to slice his head off in one move. The decapitated head rolled away to trip up another enemy soldier.

I took the opportunity to scan for my companions. But there was so much blood, so many men falling that I couldn't distinguish any familiar faces. While I knew they were most likely just fighting in a different section, I was worried that maybe the worst had happened.

My thoughts turned to the four person rescue team. How were they faring? I knew that if they actually found Merlin, they most likely found Morgana too. They were in as much danger, if not more, than we on this bloody battlefield were. And our situation was very grim.

_We are being slaughtered_, I thought in dismay. _It does not even have anything to do with the enemies' skill. All of our comrades easily outmatch these fools, but they have strength in numbers. And pure, raw strength. Not to mention their spells and other magic weapons…_

Magic. That's it. I contemplated the Druid charm in my pocket, torn. On one hand, we were losing badly and having magic on our side would be a great advantage. On the other, the Druids were a peaceful people. Although they offered to help, I couldn't help feeling guilty about possibly summoning them to their deaths. And what of the children? The battlefield was no place for them.

My mind was made up for me when I heard an agonized cry pierce the air. This wasn't new to me, but the voice made my blood run cold. I recognized that voice.

As if in a dream, I whirled around to see Leon being run through by a spear. The tip sprouted out his back in a spray of bloody glory. A lesser man would have stilled from the pain, but Leon kept on fighting. He slashed wildly with his sword, taking his enemies by surprise. He managed to take out the enemy holding the spear and the one behind him before he collapsed.

"NO!" I screamed, even though I knew it was too late. No one could take a spear like that and live. Even if he was treated immediately, his chances of survival were slim. And we had no healers out here.

I sprinted to Leon's side and knelt by the fallen knight. He coughed up blood but still managed to smile at me. I grabbed his hand, tears blurring my vision.

"L-lanc-celot-t. G-give -" he stopped to cough. "G-give 'em h-hell… for me," he croaked before his eyes closed forever. My head bowed, silent tears falling. But I couldn't afford to mourn now. Instead, I rose with a new purpose and pulled out the charm.

"Please, help us," I whispered. Then I picked up the spear that killed my friend and charged.


	35. Chapter 34: Rescue

**Chapter 34: Rescue**

_**HALE**_

"It's pointless!" Morgana cried happily as she fired spell after spell at us. It was taking all our concentration not to get hit, let alone deal a blow ourselves.

A fire spell hit the ground between Gwaine and I. We leapt to the side, cursing as we did so.

"_Brimstréam_!" I shouted and a jet of water shot at the witch. She never stopped smiling as she twirled her hand, wrapping the water around it, before sending it right back in our direction.

How long had we been at this for? Hours? Days? Weeks even? I knew that weeks passing wasn't possible, and even days was a bit of a stretch, but I blamed my distorted perception of time on the cave. It must be messing with my senses.

I raised my sword and barely managed to block the jet of water. The liquid sprayed around my weapon and splattered harmlessly on the ground.

"Oh, too bad," Morgana simpered. "I was hoping the water would land on Merlin - he could do with a wash."

"That wouldn't be necessary if you hadn't kidnapped him in the first place!" I snarled, sending a lightning spell the witch's way. She simply flicked her fingers and my attack bounced off an invisible shield.

"That's the best part. _I_ didn't kidnap him. That was all Mordred. How pathetic, the world's supposedly most powerful sorcerer being defeated by a child!" she crowed proudly.

"Where is the brat, anyway?" I asked. I put up a shield just in time as a fireball nearly hit me in the face

"I sent him somewhere safe," the witch replied. "He is quite skilled, but a child has no place in a battle between gods." I raised an eyebrow.

"Should have thought of that before you decided to help Gilfaethwy," I taunted. Morgana scoffed.

"He won't hurt me. I have been of invaluable help to him. And he will give me what I want," the witch declared.

"Yeah right!" Gwaine charged the witch but she sent him flying back with a wave of her hand. He hit the wall hard and slumped down, unmoving.

"GWAINE!" I screamed, running towards his prone form. I was stopped by a lightning bolt in my path.

"Where are you going, little girl?" Morgana asked. She sauntered towards me with the confidence of someone who knows they've won.

"I'm not done playing with you, yet," she said sweetly. She stared me down and suddenly I couldn't move. Had she paralyzed me with the power of her eyes?

"Now," Morgana said. She walked closer. "Where were we?"

"Leave her alone!" Elyan roared as he slammed into Morgana. They both toppled over and Elyan rolled out of the way. The break in eye contact freed me.

"Thanks, Elyan!" I shouted. He nodded and raised his sword to charge again.

"Enough of this!" Morgana snarled. Her eyes flashed gold and the two of us were thrown back from the force of the spell. I landed next to Gwen, who was still trying to free Merlin.

"H-Hale," Merlin whispered. "Come here."

"I'm a little busy right now!" I forced out between gritted teeth. I sat up with a groan.

"No. You need to come here, I know a spell that can defeat her," Merlin whispered urgently. My head whipped towards him.

"What?!" I hissed. "Why didn't you say something sooner?!"

"Because I just remembered. And I couldn't yell in case she became suspicious." I suddenly felt bad for snapping at Merlin. He had been through a lot.

"Sorry," I whispered, crawling over to him. "What is it?" He leaned forward and whispered the spell into my ear. I mulled it over for a few seconds before nodding in thanks and rising to my feet. Morgana noticed my sudden surge of confidence and raised an eyebrow.

"What's this? This is hardly the time to be sharing secrets, don't you think?"

"Actually," I said. "I think this is the perfect time to be sharing secrets." I spread my legs apart and planted my feet firmly on the ground. Then I raised both hands in front of me and recited the spell.

"_Ic her aciege ænne windræs! Færblæd wawe! Windræs ungetermed: gehiere! Ic ðe bebiede mid ealle strangnesse ðæt ðu geblæwest ond sierest strange! Ge spurne þeos hægtesse_!" Immediately the wind picked up, and where my fingers pointed a whirlwind emerged. My eyes briefly flashed white.

"This spell? Hah!" Morgana cried. "It may have injured me before, but I've grown much stronger since then. You can't hurt me!" I smiled grimly.

"We'll see about that," I said smugly. As if on cue, lightning flashed within the depths of the whirlwind. Morgana's eyes widened and for the first time, she looked afraid.

"How do you like this?" I shouted over the roar of the wind. I kept my hands out in front of me, guiding the storm towards the witch. She shouted spells of deflection, trying in vain to ward off the approaching storm. But it was all for naught.

With a shrill scream the storm engulfed Morgana. I was only able to hold the spell for a few moments longer before I fell to my knees in exhaustion. The spell died the moment my knees hit the floor, but it was enough. Morgana lay battered and still on the ground before me.

"I-is she?" I panted. Gwaine chose that moment to come to, which he did with a loud groan. Elyan cautiously stepped towards the fallen sorceress.

"She's alive, but barely," he called. Then his brow furrowed. "And she's… mumbling something?"

"Mumbling… something?" I repeated between gasps for air. A prayer, perhaps? No, that wouldn't be like her. Then what was she doing?

That's when it dawned on me. Horror filled my being.

"NO!" I shouted, realizing the dying witch was trying to cast a spell. I frantically muttered a shielding spell to counter the attack. But I was too late.

With a sick smile, Morgana shot a bolt of black lightning at Elyan. As the spell left her fingertips, her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell back, dead. The bolt hit Elyan directly in the chest. The force of the spell knocked him onto his back.

"ELYAN!" Gwen screamed. She fell at her brother's side. His lifeless eyes stared up at her.

"No," she said, shaking. "No, no no _no_…" She choked as sobs began to wrack her body. She rested her head on his.

"Please," Gwen begged. "Please, you can't leave me too! Elyan! ELYAN!" The last word came out as a heartbroken shriek. That's when she gave up and began wailing over the body of her dead brother.

Gwaine stared at the body of his friend, unmoving. His hair covered his face, so I couldn't see his expression, but the trembling of his shoulders led me to believe he was crying.

I stood numbly to the side, panting. Some powerful sorceress I was. I couldn't believe I'd failed so badly. How could I not have seen that last spell?

"Don't beat yourself up over it," Merlin spoke up suddenly. Tears ran down his face as well, but he was trying his best. Even though he was bound and drained, most likely suffering from severe malnutrition as well, he gave me a soft smile.

"Elyan was a knight to the very end. He helped defeat an extremely powerful witch and may very well have saved Albion. I'm sure wherever he is, he'd tell you not to worry and that he doesn't regret anything." My eyes watered and I threw myself at the helpless warlock. He was knocked backwards from the force.

"You big dummy," I sobbed. "How dare you make us all worry like that? Most powerful sorcerer ever, my ass."

"Ack!" Merlin yelped as my hug choked him. "Yes, yes, Hale, love you too, but this is kind of killing my arms so if you could let go please…?"

"Oh right, sorry," I sniffed. I used my sword to cut through Merlin's bonds, as the enchantments on the chains died with Morgana.

"Always in the nick of time, aren't you," Merlin joked weakly. "If you'd arrived any later, I'd be completely drained of magic by now. Say, how'd you get here anyway?"

"Kilgharrah brought us," I said, helping him stand. The poor thing was so weak he toppled right over.

"Kilgharrah? Really?" he asked from his position on the floor.

"Yes, he took on Gilfaethwy -" Right, the god. My head whipped towards the entrance of the cave. Now that I thought about it, I hadn't heard any noises from outside for a while.

"He did _what_?" Merlin cried. He tried to stand again but this time both Gwaine and I had to catch him.

"I'll go check on him. You stay here with Merlin and Gwen," I told Gwaine. He nodded lifelessly.

"Hale don't, it could be dangerous -" Merlin protested.

"I have to. We may have taken out Morgana, but Gilfaethwy could still be a very real threat," I said seriously. I gave him a weak smile.

"And I wouldn't be much help anyway. I'm in no condition to fight. None of us are." With that, I strode to the front of the cave. I cautiously peeked around the corner to get a sense of what was happening.

What I found was an enraged dragon pacing back and forth and muttering to himself. There was, however, no sign of Gilfaethwy.

"Um, Kilgharrah?" The dragon either didn't hear me or chose to ignore me. "Hey Kilgharrah?" Still no response. "KILGHARRAH!"

His head whipped towards me at my shout, mouth open and ready to fire (literally). He relaxed when he saw it was me.

"I take it you were successful then, little one?" he inquired. I grimaced.

"For the most part. Merlin is alive but weakened, and Morgana is dead. But she took Elyan with her…" My voice cracked. The dragon bowed his head.

"I am sorry for your loss. He was noble indeed," Kilgharrah said solemnly.

"And you?" I asked, wanting to change the subject. "What happened to Gilfaethwy?"

"The coward ran away!" the dragon snarled. "He used a spell to transport himself somewhere. I do not know where he is, and I can't track him." Kilgharrah pawed the ground in frustration.

"Then Cairon is our top priority," I said. "Can you take us back to the battlefield?"

"Yes," he said simply. I nodded and walked back inside the cave.

"Gilfaethwy got away," I announced grimly. "Kilgharrah is alright, just furious that the coward ran off on him. He's going to take us back to Actica so we can deal with Cairon."

"Wait," Gwen said. Her voice was hoarse from crying. "I want to give my brother a proper burial. I wish he could be buried with all the other fallen knights, but this is the best I can do under the circumstances. He deserves that at least." Even though we would be wasting valuable time, no one had the heart to protest.

We buried him with his sword at the base of the most majestic tree we could find. Gwaine and I supported Merlin so he could be present too. Gwen found a flat stone and placed it tenderly over where her brother's head lay.

"Can you use your magic to inscribe his name and everything on it?" she asked me. Without a word I stepped forward and used my magic to carve:

HERE LIES SIR ELYAN OF CAMELOT

A NOBLE WARRIOR, A LOVING BROTHER, AND A LOYAL FRIEND

I considered adding something about what he died for, but decided against it. Elyan was so much more than what he accomplished at the time of his death.

"Does that do him justice?" I asked Gwen. She smiled shakily at me.

"Yes. It's perfect," she whispered. We took a moment of silence to honor our comrade, and then we moved back to where Kilgharrah stood waiting. As we helped Merlin onto the dragon's back, I suddenly realized someone was missing.

"Where's Gwaine?" I asked frantically. Merlin gave me a strange look.

"He's right next to you," he said slowly. I shook my head.

"No, my marten. Where did he go?" I heard Merlin asking about my marten as I raced off into the trees.

"Gwaine?" I called. "Gwaine! Where are you, you little rascal?" I called his name a few more times before my marten's namesake placed a gentle hand on my arm.

"Hale," Gwaine said. "He's a wild animal. It's very possible the fight scared him off and he decided to leave."

"That can't be right!" I exclaimed. "He's been in battle before! If he was so scared, he would have run off a long time ago!"

"Regardless, we need to go. If he hasn't come by now, I don't think he's coming back."

"But he -" At Gwaine's stern but understanding look, I bit my lip and stopped arguing. It seemed as though my time with the little marten had come to an end. Even more depressed than before, I followed Gwaine back to where the others waited. We both mounted Kilgharrah and flew back to Actica in silence.


	36. Chapter 35: Confrontation

**Chapter 35: Confrontation**

_**GWAINE**_

I should have been happy, no ecstatic about having Merlin back, but I could barely force myself to keep going. I was numb from the pain of losing Elyan. We all were, even our freshly rescued warlock.

Merlin had fallen asleep from exhaustion. In a way, I was glad. Not only did he need the rest, but it would prevent him from mourning Elyan. I hated to admit it, but we didn't have time to properly mourn him.

The most unnerving change was in Hale. She was so silent I had to check repeatedly to make sure she was still there. She clearly felt responsible for Elyan's death, not that I could blame her. All four of us felt that there was something we could have done differently. Maybe we could have saved him.

"Prepare yourselves, young ones," the dragon spoke up suddenly. "We are approaching the battlefield." Sure enough, I could hear weapons clashing, beasts roaring and men screaming.

"It never ends, does it?" I muttered as we descended.

* * *

><p>Kilgharrah landed in the same area we met. Hale and I helped Merlin down from the dragon's back. He collapsed as soon as his feet hit the ground.<p>

"Gah!" he gasped. "S-sorry, I just… I'm not used to moving around so much."

"It's fine," Hale assured him quietly. She and I picked the poor man up and carried him over to a nearby tree. We propped him up against it.

"You need to stay here," Hale said kindly. "Rest up while you have the chance." Merlin shook his head.

"No," he rasped. "I need to help you defeat Cairon. I'm supposed to help protect Albion, it's my destiny -"

"Well you aren't going to be much help if you're half dead," Hale reprimanded sharply. She turned to Kilgharrah. "Will you stay and watch him to make sure he doesn't do something stupid?" The dragon inclined his head.

"Of course," he responded. Hale turned back to Merlin.

"Look, if you feel well enough to fight later, I'm sure Kilgharrah will be more than happy to bring you over and bash some heads in the process. But for now, stay here." I couldn't stop a wave of admiration and affection from sweeping through me. Even after such a hard battle, and losing Elyan, Hale still took charge and was determined to keep going.

Hale looked at our final companion. "Perhaps you'd better stay here too, Gwen," she said softly. Gwen nodded mutely and plopped down beside Merlin.

I exchanged glances with Hale, silently communicating my worry. Was it really safe to leave the two alone when they were so vulnerable? Hale obviously shared my concern, but she nodded slightly to the dragon. We'd just have to hope he could protect them, but I wasn't sure if even Kilgharrah could fend off a horde of Cairon's monsters.

"Let's go, Gwaine," Hale said. "I've got quite a score to settle with my dear uncle."

* * *

><p>Hale and I didn't even bother hiding ourselves. As soon as we were within sight of the battlefield, we charged at the first enemies we could get our hands on.<p>

Hale screamed as she tackled an enemy from behind, stabbing him through the back. He was dead before he even knew what hit him. She leapt over the body and slashed down another opponent within seconds.

I tried to do the same, but my opponent saw me coming. This one was human as far as I could tell. He could have passed for one of our allies if his armor didn't look like it came straight from a nightmare. The armor was a metallic black and covered him from head to toe. Spikes emerged from the shoulders and helmet, ready to pierce anyone who dared try to take him by surprise. His gauntlets too were spiked, as were the bottoms of his boots. A bloody conflict was depicted on the breastplate.

Our blades locked and we desperately pushed against each other's weapons. Unfortunately, my enemy was stronger. I gritted my teeth as I was slowly pushed back. My heels carved tracks in the ground as my opponent began to overpower me.

Just as my enemy was about to win, I let my sword slip to the side, taking his with it. The force of our combined strength sent shockwaves up both our arms as the weapons hit the ground. My enemy's hit so hard that it embedded itself in the dirt. He tried in vain to tug it out, but I managed to pry my sword from the Earth's clutches and stab the vulnerable juncture between his shoulder and neck. He choked and gurgled on some blood, then his eyes rolled back in his head as he died.

"_Baerne_!" I paled as a fire appeared out of nowhere and scorched all the enemies nearby. Some were lucky enough to escape with only a few minor burns. Others were caught in the middle and turned to ash.

Turning to Hale, the only one who could have cast the spell, I found her doubled over and panting.

"Are you alright?" I asked anxiously. I put a hand on her back and began rubbing circles.

"Fine," she panted. "Just… a little low on energy right now. I didn't expect the spell to take that much out of me."

"You should save your strength," I said worriedly. "You're already exhausted and at your limit from battling Morgana. Don't waste any energy on extra spells unless absolutely necessary."

"Yes, mother," Hale grumbled. I glared at her but she either didn't notice or pointedly ignored me. She straightened and stretched with a groan.

At that moment, another opponent tried to sneak up on Hale but she danced away before its blade reached her. This opponent wore a heavy cloak of black, the hood covering the face, but there was something off about it. I puzzled over it for a moment before I realized what it was. It was completely, purely black - no shadows, no highlights, no sign that the material was anything cloth-like. And even in the middle of the battlefield, the maybe-cloak radiated a cold aura.

Hale had noticed the sinister cloak too. She narrowed her eyes, then suddenly grabbed a stone from the ground and hurled it at her opponent. It didn't even try to dodge, and it didn't have to. The cloak swallowed it right up.

My eyes widened along with Hale's. What was that cloak made of?!

"It's…" Hale gasped. "I think it's made of dark magic!"

"You've got to be kidding me," I groaned. Now their armor was enchanted?

"Well damn. Now what am I going to do? I can't kill it if I can't touch it!" Hale complained. The thing - I couldn't tell what it was under all that _black_ - made a weird rasping, rattling sound.

"Was… was that a laugh?" I asked in bewilderment. Hale growled.

"It thinks this is funny, huh? Well if that cloak of yours is made of dark magic, I doubt it will take kindly to the light." Hale drew her hands in front of her to cast a spell.

"Stop!" I snatched her wrist. "I thought we agreed no magic unless absolutely necessary!"

"You think it's not necessary now?" she asked incredulously. I opened my mouth to argue when I heard a crackling sound behind us. I turned to see a ball of fire hurtling towards me and Hale.

"Duck!" I cried and pulled Hale to the ground with me. The fireball struck the ground behind us, directly in front of Hale's opponent. It hissed and slithered back. Was it some sort of snake hybrid?

I glared in the direction the fireball was shot from as I helped Hale up.

"Don't look at me," Hale said. She put her hands up. "I didn't do it."

"I know," I grumbled. "It came from behind us. Unless you kept a spare hidden in the clouds or something." She snorted.

"I don't think that's possible," she said. "The only way to hide a fireball up there is if we asked Kilgharrah to keep watch or something."

"Then who -" Both Hale and I were forced to dive out of the way as our forgotten enemy lunged. The cloak appeared to magically grow tentacles and shot out to grab our ankles.

"Ahh!" The cloak held us upside down as we swung our swords wildly.

"How is this even possible?!" I cried. "That damn cloak just swallowed the rock before - why are we still here?!"

"Don't question it!" Hale roared back. "Just focus on getting out of this mess!" We struggled with all we had, but it was in vain.

"_Baerne_!" Another fireball came flying towards us, this time hitting the tentacle holding Hale. Our enemy shrieked in pain as the fireball had ripped a hole right through the cloak where it hit. Hale fell to the ground with an _oomph_.

"_Baerne_!" A third ball of fire struck the tentacle holding me, and I went down much in the same way as Hale did. The two of us scrambled away from our enemy, and just in time too. A barrage of fire came raining down on our opponent, engulfing it and reducing it to nothing in mere moments.

"That is how it is done." Hale and I whipped around to see the blind Druid seer smiling at us.

"You!" Hale leapt to her feet. "What are you doing here? This is a battlefield, it's dangerous!" The seer cocked her head to the side.

"Did you not call for our help, daughter of Arianrhod?" she asked. Hale looked confused for a moment, then smacked her forehead.

"Of course! You gave the charm to Lancelot, didn't you Gwaine?" I nodded.

"So you do require our assistance. That is good to know, although it was inevitable given who you're up against," the seer said calmly. How she managed to look so serene in the midst of a war, I'll never know. She raised her head, sightless blue eyes turned towards the heavens.

"It is time for us to take back what is ours," she announced. "Let us go to battle!"

* * *

><p>"That damned witch!" Gilfaethwy banged his staff on the ground in fury. "Going and getting herself killed like that. Arianrhod's brat is stronger than I thought."<p>

"Indeed she is." Gilfaethwy whirled around to see none other than his hated sister, the White Lady smirking at him. However, the smirk didn't reach her eyes, which were cold and harder than steel. She absentmindedly reached up to stroke the familiar marten on her shoulder.

"What's the matter, brother dearest? Surprised to see me?" She chuckled. "Well you really shouldn't be. You knew it was only a matter of time when you began to mess with _my_ domain." Gilfaethwy's eyes narrowed in hatred.

"You've held power for far too long, Arianrhod," he spat. "It's time you pay your dues!"

"Oh?" Arianrhod raised an eyebrow. "What's this? The outcast is trying to assert his nonexistent dominance, is he?" Gilfaethwy glowered at her, but she only rolled her eyes.

"Please, Gilfaethwy," the goddess said cooly. "We've done all this before. You and I both know you stand no chance of defeating me. You are simply too weak. Now kindly stop this childish tantruming. Get your toys under control and out of my territory!" At that, Gilfaethwy smiled a terrible, knowing smile.

"Do we really know that, sister _dearest_?" he mocked her. "Don't think I don't know exactly how this 'protecting your territory' gig works. In exchange for near limitless power to protect your domain," his grin widened. "Your life is tied to it. The state of the land reflects your health." Arianrhod's smile had long since vanished. Her insane brother began cackling.

"And oh, what a sorry state your territory is in, my lady. You must be furious with yourself for letting it come to this. It is your arrogance that cost you so dearly, my dear." Arianrhod was so still and pale, she could easily have passed for a marble statue.

"I suppose I have no choice then," the goddess said finally. "I was hoping to avoid this outcome, considering we are family. However, you have forced my hand." Slowly, Arianrhod raised her right hand out in front of her.

"To protect my land and its people, you must die, brother Gilfaethwy. I, Arianrhod the White, will kill you myself."


	37. Chapter 36: The Final Stand

Chapter 36: The Final Stand

HALE

I gaped at the sight before me. Next to me I sensed Gwaine doing the same.

_Is she really blind?_

That's all I could think as the Druid seer sent spell after spell into the midst of our enemies. Every spell took out at least three opponents, if not more.

An enemy arrow struck the ground near my feet. That shook me out of my awed stupefaction.

"Are you alone?" I called to the seer. "Where are the others?"

"We have dispersed. My kin are scattered around the battlefield, doing whatever they can," she replied. "I imagine most of them are supplying medical aid. While there are few of us, a good healer could mean the difference between victory and defeat."

"Yes, it really can," a voice said from behind us. I turned to find Merlin beaming at me, one of the Druids tagging along behind him.

"Merlin?!" I cried. "What are you doing here? You should be resting!" He jerked a thumb at his Druid companion.

"Thanks to this kind fellow here, I'm as good as new!" he said happily. The Druid, a young man probably in his late twenties, toed the ground shyly.

"I-it was a simple spell," he stuttered. "Y-you would have r-regained your strength on your own i-if you r-rested for a bit longer, Emrys." Merlin smiled warmly at him.

"But we don't have time to sit around. So thanks to you, we may yet have a chance of defeating Cairon," he said kindly. "I owe my life to you." Merlin's expression sobered.

"Now Hale," he addressed me. "How's your strength? Do you have any magic left?" I grimaced.

"I'm still standing, but that's about it," I confessed. "I used up a lot of energy and magic battling Morgana." I glanced at Gwaine.

"And we've been fighting non-stop since," I said, gesturing to Gwaine. He stepped forward.

"She nearly passed out using some sort of fire spell earlier. I'm sorry, but she's in no condition to fight," he told Merlin grimly.

"Hey!" I protested. "I did not almost pass out! And who are you to determine whether I'm fit to fight or not?"

"You just said yourself that you're barely standing!" Gwaine shot back angrily. We glared at each other before Merlin interrupted us with a cough.

"Well, in that case," Merlin began. "We just need to heal you." He turned back to the Druid.

"Will you help her?" he asked. The young man nodded and approached me nervously.

"I-I'm just going to cast a simple h-healing spell. The s-same one I used on E-Emrys," he told me. I nodded.

"That would be great. Thank you," I said sincerely. The Druid looked at Gwaine.

"I'm s-sorry but I d-don't think I'll be able to heal you t-too. H-healing spells take a lot of e-energy and Emrys' wounds were extensive." Gwaine sighed.

"I figured as much. Don't worry about it, I can take care of myself," he said.

"No wait!" I cried. "Heal Gwaine instead; I'll be okay." Gwaine was about to argue when Merlin cut in.

"No, Hale. I'm sorry, but we need your strength more than his at the moment. If we're going to take down your uncle, we need to be at our best. No offense," he addressed Gwaine.

"None taken," Gwaine replied with a shrug. I scowled but acquiesced.

"Fine," I grumbled. The Druid raised his hands.

"_Hálian_!" he proclaimed. At first nothing happened, but then slowly a warm… glowing feeling engulfed my body. It was as if my exhaustion and wounds were being peeled away layer by layer.

A few moments later, I felt just like Merlin had described: good as new. I moved my limbs and gazed in wonder at the areas I had been wounded before.

"Thank you," I told the Druid fervently. He blushed.

"T-thank me by d-defeating that monster," he said quietly.

"Of course," I replied. Then I tapped my chin in thought. "If Cairon is still here, then he should be at the castle. I suppose that's where we need to go." Merlin offered me his arm.

"Shall we, my lady?" I rolled my eyes and slapped his arm away.

"We're going to battle, Merlin, not a ball." He shrugged.

"Might as well enjoy what little peace we have now though, right?" he asked. I ignored him and faced Gwaine.

"Can you handle things here?" I asked worriedly. He smiled gently at me.

"I'll be fine. And I'll be even better if you two take out Cairon." Gwaine bit his lip. "Just promise me that you'll be careful."

"I will," I promised. "I underestimated him last time and it cost me dearly. I won't make the same mistake again." With that said, Merlin and I set off for the castle.

* * *

><p>As we approached the castle, I slowed my pace. The many memories I had of this place threatened to swallow me whole, particularly the last, bloody ones.<p>

"Hale?" Merlin asked, alarmed. He shook me by the shoulders. "Hale? What's wrong? Snap out of it!"

"Huh?" I said dumbly. Merlin sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness. What happened?" I looked down.

"This castle… this kingdom… I have so many memories of here. And Cairon has defiled them all." My fists clenched.

"Hale," Merlin said sympathetically. We were silent for a few minutes.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Merlin asked suddenly. "I, I don't mean this in a bad way, I get it, but if you're not committed to this or if it's too hard for you -"

"No," I interrupted. "I'm going to make that monster pay for what he's done if it's the last thing I do."

"That's the spirit." A white glow materialized before us. The light brightened until it was almost blinding, then died down to reveal two people I had never been happier to see.

"Ide? Jade?" I exclaimed. The blond smiled at me while the brunette rolled her eyes.

"Of course. We weren't about to miss _this_ particular battle," Jade drawled. "Cairon has rampaged for far too long."

"Then why didn't you stop him before?" I muttered. Jade scowled at me.

"It's not that simple! Ide and I together weren't strong enough to defeat him, but with you we could. But you were too busy playing rebellious princess -"

"Enough," Ide interrupted sternly. "We must focus on the task at hand. It will take all of our efforts, including yours, Emrys." She fixed her gaze on Merlin, who unconsciously straightened.

"Yes ma'am," he said. For a moment I thought he was going to salute her.

"But I'm afraid, as admirable as your efforts are, it won't be enough." All four of us stiffened and turned to face the monster himself. His serene smile belied the manic glint in his eyes.

"Cairon," Jade hissed lowly. Ide narrowed her eyes. The madman's smile widened and he swept his arms out in a wide gesture.

"Welcome, daughters of Arianrhod. And Emrys," he added. "I suppose since you're all here, that means Morgana has been defeated, yes?"

"Yes," I growled. "The witch is dead." A spasm of pain flashed across Merlin's face, most likely as he remembered Elyan's death. Cairon looked mildly annoyed as he pouted.

"Hmph. Some good she was. I suppose that means I'll have to break the news to the brat then," he grumbled. He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. Then the crazy grin was back.

"Well then, my dearest niece," he said, rolling up his sleeves. "Are you ready to die again?" Before I could answer he waved his hand and a cloud of dark magic surrounded us all. Choking and coughing, we finally opened our eyes to find ourselves in the grand hall. The place where the royal family, my family, was murdered. To my horror, everything looked exactly as it did on that horrible day, minus the bodies. Old blood still splattered the walls and the double doors still lay on the floor. Debris littered the area and I could feel my memories threatening to drown me again.

Cairon sighed happily. "Ah, this place brings back so many memories. Doesn't it, Hale? Remember we met for the first time here? I believe it was a holiday, wasn't it? Or was it your birthday? I can't remember, it was some sickeningly happy occasion."

"Actually, it was the announcement of my becoming a princess," I seethed. Cairon tutted.

"Oh right yes, you received the crown that was supposed to belong to me." He gave me a cold smile.

"Well, I have it now dear, and so much more. I'm not about to let you take my birthright from me." That did it.

"Your _birthright_?!" I cried. "So your birthright is to wreak havoc, make the people of this land suffer, and murder without discrimination?" The monster shrugged.

"It is my kingdom. I can do what I please with it," he said, studying his nails.

"You -" I snarled, starting forward. I raised my hand to cast a spell but Ide beat me to it. A bolt of white lightning struck Cairon dead on… or at least, where he had been standing moments before. I turned wide eyed to my normally peaceful sister, who looked as calm and collected as always.

"A true king values his people," she said quietly. "You are no king. You are unfit to rule any kingdom, much less one as great as this." She raised her hand, electricity already crackling in the air.

"In the name of my mother, Arianrhod the White," Ide proclaimed. Merlin, Jade and I got into defensive stances and readied ourselves. "And in the names of all who died in your senseless reign of carnage. We will destroy you once and for all, Cairon of Actica." Cairon grinned.

"I was hoping you would say that," he chortled gleefully before the ground started crumbling beneath our feet.

* * *

><p>"I beg your pardon?" Gilfaethwy asked cheekily. "I <em>must<em> die? Oh, how presumptuous of you, sister dear. Who are you to decide who lives and who dies?"

"This is my land to protect, and that means vanquishing any foe my people cannot defeat on their own," Arianrhod intoned. The marten on her shoulder sent Gilfaethwy an eerily intelligent glare. A chill passed down Gilfaethwy's spine as he locked eyes with the small animal, but he shrugged it off.

"It is not my fault your people are so weak, Arianrhod. You've coddled them too much," the god in grey said flippantly. Arianrhod opened her mouth to retort but Gilfaethwy was already muttering a spell.

"_Cume thoden_!" Gilfaethwy murmured, and instantly a whirlwind sprang to life at his feet. He waved his hand and the whirlwind tripled in size and began advancing on Arianrhod. The White Lady, however, was unfazed. She raised a hand to point straight at the oncoming whirlwind.

"_Ágoe thoden_," she commanded. The whirlwind halted in its path. "_Bene dynge_," she continued. Flashes of light sparked within the eye of the whirlwind, which had grown even larger and began reaching for the sky. The sky itself darkened and the flashes of lightning from within the whirlwind were accompanied by booms of thunder. Arianrhod, who stood out amidst the carnage in radiant white, kept her hand pointed at her brother.

"_Ábrice_," she whispered. And the storm moved forward to consume Gilfaethwy. Arianrhod closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry it has come to this, brother," she murmured to the clouds.

"You have always been much too arrogant for your own good," a voice called from within the raging storm. The White Lady's eyes snapped open.

As far as she could tell, the storm had well and truly swallowed her brother. But amidst the clap of thunder and howling winds, she could just barely make out her brother's shouts.

"_Thurh minum gewealde ond thinum maegen… geclippath we thone lieg the ealla awestath_," Gilfaethwy commanded. At first there was only a small spark of orange. Then the spark grew into an inferno that roared as it ate away at the storm. These were no ordinary flames; they were magical, and their only purpose was to destroy.

The flames hurtled straight at Arianrhod, who only had time to shout, "_Shieldan_!" before the flames were upon her. A swirl of demonic orange and gold enveloped the White Lady completely.

"_Tídrénas_!" the White Lady cried, and rain poured down from above. The rain, having been summoned by a goddess, extinguished the enchanted flames instantly. However, the goddess did not come out unscathed. The edges of her clothing were singed and she trembled just slightly from the effort of casting so many powerful spells in a short amount of time. Even so, Arianrhod stood proud and strong, facing her brother without betraying any emotion. Gilfaethwy raised an eyebrow.

"Not bad, for someone in your condition," the god said. "I hate to say it, but I'm impressed you've managed to throw out so many spells." He grinned maniacally. "You're fighting two battles Arianrhod. One here, against me in the space between worlds, and the other against Cairon in your land. Oh wait, your daughters are doing all the dirty work for you, aren't they? But it doesn't matter. So long as they keep fighting and causing more chaos and destruction in your realm, the weaker you become!" Arianrhod's eyes narrowed.

"But brother dearest," she said icily. "I've only just begun." And she waved her hand in the air.

"_Forhwierfe tídrén into bæðwegas_!" The rain continued to fall, but now as it fell it pooled around Arianrhod's feet. The rain began to pour harder, rapidly expanding the pool until it became a sea that violently raged around the equally irate goddess.

"_Ábrice_!" the goddess cried. She made a sweeping gesture towards Gilfaethwy. The sea, spurred on by the storm that was still going strong, thundered towards the insane god.

"Ha! A wall of water? Is that all you've got for me, Arianrhod?" Gilfaethwy cackled. He failed to notice the marten jumping off the goddess' shoulder and plunging into the raging currents.

"_Bene dobhar-chú_," Arianrhod murmured. Gilfaethwy cocked his head in confusion.

"Dobhar-chú?" he asked. Arianrhod smiled grimly.

"River monster," she said simply. And then a large shape burst out of the water.

Gilfaethwy's eyes widened in horror. The beast resembled a giant otter, but with slitted eyes and fangs that could easily pass for a sword. The fur, slicked back with water, was a deep, rich brown. Glowing red eyes glared at the grey god. The dobhar-chú hissed then dove back under the water.

_That damn marten_, Gilfaethwy thought furiously. _I knew it wasn't an ordinary pet_. The god growled and reached into his sleeves. He pulled out a small snake figure and threw it in the water.

"_Tharinna imbicentra. Orpha homanace doll, æle_!" The now giant and very much alive snake surged out of the water just in time to collide with the dobhar-chú. The former marten reared back in surprise, but then dove back to sink its fangs into the snake's neck. The snake hissed and retaliated by wrapping its body around the dobhar-chú. The giant mammal roared in pain but managed to shake itself free. Both creatures dove under water again to continue their battle.

"_Heofonfyr_!" A bolt of lightning streaked towards Gilfaethwy, who dodged just in time. The lightning struck the ground where he had been moments before, but dodging had left him unbalanced. Arianrhod shouted something else, which was lost as a giant tail rose from the water and slapped the surface, creating a giant wave which raced towards Gilfaethwy.

The wave, along with the rest of the sea, surged forward to engulf the god in grey. Having been caught off guard by the lightning strike, Gilfaethwy had no time to cast a counterspell as the raging waters swallowed him whole.

"Come, pet," Arianrhod shouted and the dobhar-chú burst from the waves to meet her.

"_Áhilde_," she told the beast, who gradually shrunk down to become a marten once more. Her eyes cold, the White Lady summoned one last lightning strike that struck the spot where her brother had disappeared beneath the waves. After waiting with bated breath, and seeing no change in the stormy sea, Arianrhod raised her hand and released her spell on the heavens. The clouds receded, the sky cleared, and the water settled.

"_Ácwíne_," Arianrhod announced. The water started to sink into the ground until nothing was left but a cold grey lump. Steeling herself for a possible counter attack, Arianrhod cautiously approached the unmoving form of her brother. Kneeling down, she checked his pulse. There was none.

"It is done," Arianrhod sighed tiredly. "The fight is over. I'm sorry brother, but you've lost." The goddess bowed her head. She should have been elated, or at the very least relieved the fight was finally over, but all she felt was an immense sadness.

"How did it come to this, brother?" she whispered. "When did the situation become so bad I had to kill you to set things right?" Trembling, although from exhaustion or nerves she couldn't tell, Arianrhod reached out and gently closed her brother's unseeing eyes. Lifting her face to the now clear sky, she sent a quick prayer to her daughters in the mortal realm.

"It's up to you now, my dears," Arianrhod the White said tiredly.


	38. Chapter 37: Resolution

**Chapter 37: Resolution**

_**HALE**_

"Have a nice time in hell!" Cairon shouted as the ground beneath our feet crumbled at an alarming rate.

"What the -?" My cry was drowned out by the sound of Ide's voice.

"_Bedyrne ús! Astýre ús þanonweard_!" my sister shouted. Suddenly, Merlin, my sisters and I appeared on the opposite of the hall, away from the crumbling floor. Disoriented, I wobbled around for a bit as we stared at the gaping hole in the floor. Cairon raised an eyebrow.

"Not bad, my dear. That was quite a quick teleportation spell," he complimented. Ide narrowed her eyes.

"I do not wish to be praised by the likes of you, demon," she hissed. The serene smile was gone and her eyes were harder than steel. She still looked regal, but there was a certain ferocity on her features that hadn't been there before. I realized I'd never seen Ide angry, or anything but calm really, and the change was quite frightening.

"_Cume stefnas_," my irate sister intoned. Merlin and I had to leap back to avoid the tree roots that suddenly shot out of the hole in the floor.

"_Gehæftan_," she continued, pointing at Cairon. The roots immediately leapt at Cairon, wrapping around the evil sorcerer before he could chant a counterspell.

Jade chimed in with a, "_Bene gicel_!" and the roots started to freeze over.

"Any last words, monster?" Jade asked as the ice gradually crept closer to Cairon's neck. The madman grinned.

"Of course. _Forbearnan_!" A massive fire burst into life at Cairon's feet. The flames reached for my sisters but -

"_Shieldan_!" Merlin shouted and the flames hit an invisible barrier, protecting my sisters.

"Thank you, Emrys," Ide said politely. Merlin shrugged.

"It was nothing," he said modestly. But my attention was on Cairon.

"No way," I said in disbelief. "The flames… they're consuming him!"

The flames Cairon himself had called forth were hungrily devouring the monster, and the roots with him. Soon, the inferno completely engulfed Cairon and we could barely make out his insane laughter over the roar of the fire.

"He really is insane," Jade breathed in awe. "He'll destroy himself!"

"Actually, I was simply destroying my bonds." The fire died down and we could clearly see Cairon standing amidst a pile of ashes, unharmed. He snorted.

"Were you really so naive as to think I would deliberately put myself in danger? Or are you just desperate?" He eyed us for a moment then clucked his tongue. "Hmm, I do believe it is the latter. You are desperate, aren't you?" He glanced up at the huge chandelier on the ceiling, which somehow survived all the commotion.

"_Ic bebíede fealle_," Cairon shouted. The chandelier shivered, then the chain holding it up snapped and the whole thing plunged towards us. Merlin and I dove right while my sisters dove left. The chandelier crashed into the floor, scattering bits of crystal and metal all over.

Before we had time to gain our bearings, Cairon had already cast another spell.

"_Ástríce_!" All of us were thrown back. I landed on top of Merlin with an _oof_!

"Ack, sorry!" I told my poor friend, quickly scrambling off him. He groaned.

"S'okay," he grumbled. "I'm used to being flattened." I ignored his complaining and glared at my uncle, who was grinning at me.

"Damn it," I muttered. We still hadn't had a chance to get back on our feet. If we could just have a moment to regroup…

Merlin appeared to be having similar thoughts. Just as Cairon raised a hand to cast another spell, Merlin intervened.

"_Bene læg gesweorc_!" Thick clouds of mist began to manifest in the middle of the hall. Soon, I could barely see Merlin, and he was right next to me.

"What was that for? We can't even see Jade or Ide!" I hissed.

"But Cairon can't see us either," Merlin replied grimly. "I'm sure he'll blow it away in a few moments, but the mist bought us a little time. We need to figure out some sort of strategy. We can't just hurl random spells at him and hope they work."

I groaned. "I know. But what are we going to do? Apparently he's immune to fire!"

"That was a spell of his own making, though," Merlin said thoughtfully. "Since he cast it, it would make sense that the spell wouldn't affect him. At least, I think that's how it works. Maybe he modified it or something."

"All right… But that still begs the question, what do we do?" I said. Merlin frowned.

"We definitely need to restrain him if we want any attack to have any effect. The roots were a good idea, but we need something stronger…"

"Like chains?" I asked. Merlin's face lit up.

"Yes! Enchanted chains like the ones I was bound with!" he said excitedly. Then his face fell. "Unfortunately, we'd have to conjure chains from nothing, and that alone will take tremendous power. And I'm not even entirely sure what spell they used to enchant my bonds."

"But we won't be working with nothing. Cairon reduced the tree roots to ashes, but the ashes still remain. Can't we turn those into chains?" Merlin looked stunned for a moment, then began laughing.

"Yes! Yes, we can. You're a genius, Hale. Alright," Merlin's face turned grim again. "Then I'll cast the spell to bind Cairon. I'll create the chains and enchant them… somehow. You and your sisters can attack then, and with the combined power of the three of you it should finish him off. But I can't guarantee how long I'll be able to restrain him, especially since Cairon has the power of a god on his side."

"We have a goddess on ours," I protested lamely.

"Well, no offense but she hasn't exactly helped much," Merlin said dryly. I winced. He had a point there.

"But no matter, we have a plan now. All we have to do is -"

"Have you finished your senseless nattering, yet? I'm growing impatient!" There was a beat of silence, then a long-suffering sigh.

"I think I've let you have enough time to say your goodbyes. _Færblæd wawe_!" A strong gust of wind instantly tore the mist to shreds, leaving us exposed once again. Merlin and I exchanged glances, silently agreeing that he would attempt to restrain the mad sorcerer while I told Jade and Ide what we had decided to do. But before either of us could move, Cairon began chanting another spell.

"_Gehyre me, wan chiht, awac! Beo strangra ond steacra, forbrec tha wane… Ṹparis; Awrec Emrys and dohters of Arianrhod_!" A chill raced down my spine as the atmosphere grew dark and heavy. The ground near Cairon's feet cracked and trembled, and then a fist suddenly shot up, barely missing Cairon's robes. The fist unclenched and felt around the ground, before its twin joined it and they hauled the rest of its body to the surface.

Even though time had eaten away at the clothing, it was obvious that the outfit of the dead man was once very rich and ornate. The cape, although tattered, was a deep shade of maroon while the tunic was a rich navy blue. The boots were of fine leather and the breeches black silk. For some reason, the beast also wielded a sword. An outfit fit for royalty. The head and face were wrinkled and raw and just barely recognizable. But even with the disfigurements, I knew instantly who my uncle had resurrected.

"No," I whispered in shock, falling to my knees. I reached out a trembling hand. "H-hadrian? Father?" My uncle laughed.

"Indeed, this is the king of Actica in the flesh! Or should I say, former king." He tutted and eyed his monstrous creation. "My my, brother dearest, time has not been kind to you." The shell of my father roared angrily. Cairon smirked.

"I know you are angry with me, brother, but you are mine now. And you will do as I command. Take your anger out on these brats!" He gestured to the four of us. The beast eyed us for a moment before charging straight at me.

"Hale, look out!" Jade shouted. She dove for where I still kneeled, paralyzed, and we rolled out of the way.

"No…" I whimpered. "Father, it's me, Hale. Your daughter." If the beast heard me, it gave no sign.

"You fool!" Jade snapped, shaking my shoulders. "That thing is not King Hadrian; it's called a wraith. It's a reanimated dead body. Yes, it still possesses the memories and skills of its life among the living but Cairon is in control, not whatever is left of the king. I'm sorry." Her eyes softened briefly before hardening again.

"I need you to focus, Hale. We're going to need all of our wits to kill it since it's mostly immune to magic and normal weapons -" She was interrupted by said wraith, who took a swing at my sister's head. I managed to bring my sword up just in time to block the wraith's blow. Jade's eyes widened.

"Hale, your sword!" she cried.

"What about it?" I grunted, my sword still locked with the wraith's.

"It's enchanted. It was given to you by our mother, yes?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Then it is the only weapon that will be able to defeat the wraith," Jade told me. "You're going to have to kill it, Hale."

My heart went cold. Even though I knew this… _thing_ wasn't Hadrian - it barely resembled him anymore - I wasn't sure I could run a sword through my father's dead body. And even if I was sure about that, there was still the issue of the wraith's strength. Not only did it have Hadrian's memories, it also possessed his skills too. And King Hadrian was no amateur with the sword.

"Hale!" Merlin cried from across the room. I was shaken from my thoughts just in time to see the wraith bearing down on me.

"_Ástríce_!" Ide called and the wraith went flying. She and Merlin rushed over.

"Thanks," I said shakily. Jade and Ide helped me to my feet.

"You going to be okay fighting him on your own?" Jade asked worriedly.

"What?" Merlin yelped. "You can't expect her to fight a wraith on her own -"

"She holds the enchanted sword, Emrys," Jade snapped. "And you know most spells don't affect wraiths. Only a few, special weapons are capable of killing them." Merlin looked like he wanted to argue, but he knew Jade was right. This was something I had to do on my own.

"I'll be fine," I told him. Then I offered a weak smile. "After all, I was head of Actica's knights." By now the wraith was back on its feet. He - it snarled at me. My hand tightened around the hilt of my sword.

"Come at me, then," I told it grimly. "You do not belong here. You have made a mockery of a great man, a member of my family and I cannot let that stand. I will destroy you." The wraith screamed as it charged me and I met its blow head on. Our swords collided with so much force the entire hall echoed with the collision. But the contact didn't last long as both of us drew back just to swing again.

I grunted as our swords collided again. The wraith was quite strong, maybe even stronger than Hadrian in his prime. But while it possessed great strength, it lacked speed. Fortunately, I was quite swift and nimble. I had to be, since most of my opponents were larger and stronger than I was.

I darted to the side and aimed to slash the wraith's back, but it blocked the blow. I danced out of the way of its wild swings, then ducked under its arm to stab it in the side. I was aiming for the area where the heart should be, but it moved at the last second. However, I was able to make a nice deep cut just below its ribcage.

The wraith shrieked in agony. I was hoping the wound would distract it enough for me to land a hit, but unfortunately the wraith was as alert as ever. In fact, the wound only seemed to anger the monster. The blows came harder and faster, and it was taking all my skill just to parry and dodge. At this rate, I wouldn't last much longer. Sure enough, I was knocked off my feet a second later.

"Hale!" someone cried in alarm. Panting, I struggled to my feet as the wraith charged at me for what would probably be the final time. I closed my eyes, not wanting to watch Hadrian's shell take my life.

"NO!" I heard Cairon scream out of nowhere. At the same time, the wraith suddenly stopped fighting. It blinked in confusion then started… crumbling. Eyes wide in horror, I stumbled back and watched as the remains of my father crumbled to dust.

"W-what just happened?" I stammered, looking to my companions for an explanation. But they seemed just as caught off guard as I was.

"It can't be…" Cairon moaned. "My lord… you can't be…"

A warm, almost motherly feeling swept over me then. _It's up to you now, my dears_, a voice breathed in my head. I jumped violently.

"Oh great, now I'm hearing voices in my head?!" I cried.

"Do not fear, sister," Ide spoke, suddenly looking cheerful. "That was our mother's voice. It seems she was successful in her battle against Gilfaethwy."

"Which means," Jade added, cracking her knuckles. "Much of Cairon's magic has been depleted, tied as it was to the mad god." Merlin and I blinked and exchanged glances, then for the first time throughout the entire fight I allowed myself to feel hope.

"Well now," Merlin grinned. "This changes things, doesn't it? You remember what to do, Hale?" I nodded and Merlin dashed towards the disoriented sorcerer.

"What's he talking about?" Jade asked. I quickly explained to the sisters what Merlin and I had planned just as Merlin cast his spell.

"_Bregdan_ _stefnas in __wrāsens__! Gehæftan!_" Merlin shouted. The ashes at Cairon's feet stirred, then rapidly swirled around the sorcerer until he was completely engulfed in iron chains. The weight brought him to his feet with a huff. Cairon looked up in rage and opened his mouth to cast a spell.

"_Forniman his gereord_!" Merlin continued quickly. Whatever spell was on Cairon's tongue died in his throat as he realized he could no longer speak. The fury on his face would have been comical if Merlin hadn't addressed us at that moment.

"I'm not sure how long this will last," he confessed. "I'm also not sure if Cairon is capable of casting nonverbal spells, so whatever attack you ladies have in mind you'd better do it now." My sisters and I looked at each other.

"With pleasure," I said. We readied ourselves to cast the spell.

"Do you remember the spell we used to defeat the dryads?" Ide murmured. Jade and I nodded. Ide smirked. "It would be fitting that we finish him off with the first spell we ever cast together, no?" Jade and I sported identical grins.

"Naturally," we chorused. Then we turned back to our momentarily helpless foe.

"I've been waiting a long time for this," I snarled at my uncle before joining my sisters in chanting.

"_Magon ēow searian, and lǣtan se þoden sēcan_ _forniman ēow_!" we chanted. _May you fade, and let the wind cometh and take you away!_

Our spell hit Cairon dead on. A powerful gust of wind barreled straight for the evil sorcerer, who was screaming silently. And just like with the dryads, when it made contact Cairon burst into millions of tiny dust particles, which were then carried away by the wind.

No one spoke for a few moments. Then Merlin sat down with a _flump_.

"So… it's really over then?" he asked in a hushed voice. I nodded mutely. More silence, then -

"Blarg!" Merlin shrieked, shooting to his feet. He frantically dusted himself off as we watched in bemusement.

"I can't believe I just sat in wraith particles! Maybe Cairon particles too!" he cried. Then he pouted. "I really need a bath."

The thought was so morbid, and I was so tired I couldn't stop a hysterical giggle from escaping. Jade and Ide chuckled too.

"You are certainly something, Emrys," Jade commented gruffly. Ide smiled and then suddenly cocked her head, as if she was listening to a voice in the distance.

"It appears it is time for us to take our leave. Come, Jade," she said. I frowned.

"Must you leave so soon?" I asked mournfully. My sisters smiled at me.

"Mother has summoned us," Ide said gently. "Her battle too has finished. And besides, we were not destined to meet Arthur Pendragon again." She turned to Merlin and bowed.

"Thank you, Emrys. We could not have done this without you." Merlin rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"I'm not sure I was actually any help, you three did most of the work," he said shyly. I rolled my eyes and slapped his back.

"Idiot. Of course you helped!" I chastised. Jade chuckled and stepped back, along with Ide.

"We'll see you soon, sister," they said together. "Goodbye, Emrys." And with a flash of white light, they disappeared.

Merlin and I stared at the spot where they'd previously been for a few seconds.

"Your family scares me," Merlin announced bluntly. I gaped at him in shock, then started laughing. I laughed at Merlin's comment, at the happiness I felt for having him back, at the relief of everything finally coming together. His laughter joined my own and maybe it was my imagination, but the half-destroyed painting of King Hadrian seemed to be smiling down at us.

* * *

><p>Once Merlin and I got over our impromptu laughing session, we started walking back towards the now quiet battlefield. I would have transported us using magic, but I was so drained I don't think I could have levitated a pebble.<p>

It took us much longer than it should have to rejoin our friends. We had to cross the bloody battlefield, tripping over corpses and weapons and unidentifiable substances. We couldn't see a single living soul in the clearing, save for ourselves.

"They must be in the treeline," I panted. Merlin nodded next to me. So we continued our trek across the deserted field.

* * *

><p>"There they are!" I exclaimed, pointing.<p>

"Finally!" Merlin cried and we both quickened our pace. Gwen was the first to notice us.

"MERLIN! HALE!" she screamed, dropping everything and running towards us. The future queen threw her arms around us the moment she was close enough.

"Thank goodness you two are alright," she sobbed. "We were so worried, what with you two going up against Cairon alone."

"We weren't alone," I said. "My sisters conveniently decided to join us at the last minute."

"Really?" she asked. I nodded.

"Yup. And together we finally put an end to that monster! He's gone, Gwen! We did it!" Gwen's eyes widened.

"It's finally over?" she whispered. Merlin smiled at her.

"Yes, it's over Gwen. We made sure Elyan's sacrifice was worth it." Tears began to stream down Gwen's face.

"That's wonderful," she said shakily. "But I'm afraid… my brother wasn't the only one who sacrificed his life." My heart stopped.

"No," I said blankly. Beside me, Merlin was trembling.

"Who?" he asked hoarsely. "Who else did we lose?" Gwen closed her eyes.

"Nearly half of the knights, who knows how many from our allies and…" Gwen had to stop to compose herself. Then she blurted in one go, "Leon, Percival, and Lancelot."

* * *

><p>I couldn't believe it. Teddy bear Leon? Shy, sweet Percival? And even courageous, kind Lancelot? How could they be dead?<p>

I could feel tears streaming down my cheeks, and I heard Merlin choke on a sob.

"They died fighting, of course," Gwen smiled through her tears. "I think Leon was the first. Lancelot… he saw it happen. Actually he probably saved us. He summoned the Druids, and they were an invaluable help." She hiccupped and tried to continue, but broke down sobbing instead. Merlin hugged her as tears of his own stained her shirt. I was frozen.

"Merlin? Hale?" Arthur cautiously walked up to us. His eyes were red from crying as well. "Is that you?"

"Hey, Arthur. I mean sire," Merlin said weakly. He sniffed loudly. "We did it."

"Good," Arthur said absentmindedly. "That's good." He eyed Merlin with an unreadable expression.

"S-sire?" Merlin asked nervously.

"Gwen said you were okay, but I guess somewhere in the back of my mind I didn't believe her," Arthur murmured. "And you look… you look exactly the same. How can you be such a powerful sorcerer when you look like that?" Merlin tried to scowl but couldn't mask his worry.

"Well I've always been like this so…" he trailed off awkwardly. Prince and servant looked at each other for a few moments before Arthur suddenly stepped forward and hugged Merlin. The hug ended almost as soon as it began.

"I'm glad you're not dead," Arthur said gruffly. Merlin seemed paralyzed in shock. The tiniest smile flickered across my face. At least Arthur didn't hate Merlin.

"Hale!" Gwaine shouted. He ran up and grabbed my arms. "What happened? Are you alright? Thank God you're alive!" The concern on his face snapped me out of my stupor.

"I'm fine. We did it," I said mechanically. "I… and we… Lancelot, Percival, Leon… they…" Suddenly I collapsed weeping into Gwaine's arms.

"Shhh, it's okay, it's going to be okay," he whispered, although I'm pretty sure his tears were dampening my hair. "It's okay."

I don't know how long we embraced rocking back and forth, crying our heartbreak, but eventually even I ran out of tears and we forced ourselves to be productive. We needed to salvage what we could and find horses so we could leave this place. After a while of working in silence, Merlin and I began to share stories with our three friends left standing. In turn, they explained what happened while we were battling my uncle.

"Wait, what happened to the Druids?" I asked. Gwaine shrugged.

"They disappeared after the battle was over. I'm not sure where they went, but I hope they don't go into hiding forever. We owe them a lot, and we never got a chance to properly thank them. You should have seen it, after you guys left…"

It was sometime in the middle of Gwaine's anecdote that the wind picked up. It swirled around us in a circle, faster and faster until I felt myself being sucked in. A white light began to form in front of my eyes. And within the light, I caught a glimpse of my mother. My friends screamed my name as Arianrhod reached out her arms and yanked me into the light.


	39. Chapter 38: Choices

**Chapter 38: Choices**

_**HALE**_

We ended up in a meadow that was damp from recent rain. The grass sparkled in the sunlight and little wildflowers dotted the open space. Strangely enough, the meadow was silent. No bird calls, animals scurrying about, not even the whisper of waving grass. I could feel the magic in the atmosphere, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

My mother landed first, feet barely brushing the grass. She maintained her proud, dignified stance as her robes fluttered around her body.

Then it was my turn. With a graceful flip, I landed soundlessly on the ground. The grass was barely ruffled such was the softness of my landing. Sometime during the move, all my scars and battle wounds disappeared and I felt as fresh as a dew drop.

Yeah right.

The first part about my mother was true. But for me, I landed face first with a rather loud thump. Grass went flying. I was still bloody and sweaty and generally exhausted, but now I got to add grass stains to the mix. And mud. Can't forget the mud.

"Arg, blech!" I hacked. My mother sighed.

"Oh, stop playing in the mud and get up." I gave her the evil eye as I stood with what little dignity I had left.

"And whose fault is it that I landed in the mud in the first place?" I grumbled. My annoyance was quickly forgotten when I noticed who was on Arianrhod's shoulder.

"Gwaine!" I cried happily. The marten squeaked and leapt at me. We cuddled for a few moments before my mother cleared her throat.

"You named him Gwaine?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It was the first name that popped into my head," I muttered. Then I eyed Arianrhod suspiciously. "Why did you have my marten anyway?"

"He was mine to begin with. Through him, I could track you."

"What?!" I screeched.

"Well after that crazy stunt you pulled that got you killed, I couldn't leave you alone, now could I?" Arianrhod said with a shrug. I looked at the deceptively innocent marten in my arms.

"That would explain a few things," I said. Then I turned back to my mother. "But if you were so concerned, why didn't you just come to me directly?"

"It's not that simple, Hale. There are certain… laws and limitations I am bound to. In bringing you back to life, I violated several including some of the most fundamental natural laws. As a goddess charged with protecting these lands, it is my duty to ensure everything is balanced. And now, I must set things right." Arianrhod took a deep breath.

"In order to restore balance, you and your sisters have to go."

"Go?" I asked, stunned. "What do you mean go?"

"With Cairon and Gilfaethwy no longer in the picture, the combined power of the three sisters tips the balance. You are too powerful for this world." This can't be happening.

"However," Arianrhod continued. "You have a choice. Either you come with me, never to set foot in this world again, and retain your abilities… or you can live out the remainder of your mortal life here, without those powers." I was frozen. After everything I'd done, all the friends I'd made and the changes I'd wrought, how could it be fair to rip it all away from me?

"If you choose to give up your powers, the process of stripping them will shorten your lifespan considerably because the magic is part of you. You will never again be as physically fit and healthy as you are now." Never again? That would mean giving up sword fighting, running around, and basically being independent. I might be confined to a bed for the rest of my life!

"I will give you a few weeks to make your decision. However, once you choose your path you cannot stray from it. I will return you to your friends for now. Until we meet again, my daughter." The goddess raised her hand and everything around me glowed white. The last thing I saw was the sorrowful expression on my mother's face before my vision faded.

* * *

><p>My landing this time was just as graceless as the first. But there was so much going through my mind, I didn't even notice.<p>

"HALE!" I was almost bowled over by a very excited sorcerer. Instinctively I checked to make sure Gwaine was okay, but he was nowhere to be found.

_He must have stayed with my mother, the little traitor,_ I thought bitterly.

"Thank goodness you're okay!" Merlin exclaimed. I nodded mutely.

"Yeah," I rasped. "Fine. Mother just wanted to… talk." Merlin didn't even seem to pick up on my distress. He was just relieved I was back in one piece.

"Hale!" My remaining friends charged over to me in a similar panic.

"My god," Arthur gasped. "I swear, we leave you alone for one moment, Hale, and suddenly you go and die or disappear on us!" I gave him a shaky smile.

"To be fair, it wasn't my fault this time," I joked weakly. Arthur shook his head and groaned.

"Hey," I asked suddenly. "How long was I gone for anyway?"

"Not too long. Maybe half an hour?" Merlin replied cheerfully. I glared at him.

"If I wasn't gone that long, why were you freaking out so badly?" I growled.

"You were kidnapped by a goddess! Of course we were freaked out!"

"She's my mother! She brought me back to life, I highly doubt she'd hurt me." _Not physically anyway._

"No offense, but your mother doesn't exactly seem like the sweet, nurturing type," Merlin said dryly.

_No, she isn't, _I thought. Arthur clapped his hands to get our attention.

"Now that Hale has decided to grace us with her presence again, we should get moving. We've gathered as much supplies as possible and we'll head back to Camelot as soon as possible. It won't take as long as it did before because we have horses now. Merlin," he beckoned to his servant/best friend. "Come with me, you've got quite a lot of work to catch up on."

"What?" Merlin whined. "I just defeated one of the most dangerous sorcerers ever after weeks of confinement and you're going to put me to work?!"

"It's not my fault you're such a slacker," Arthur shot back. "Besides, consider this payback for lying to me the entire time we've known each other!"

"I couldn't tell you!" Merlin cried. "You'd have killed me!"

"You should have told me anyway. I am your prince, after all," Arthur said. "Now get off your lazy arse and fetch my things!" Merlin groaned and grumbled but did as he was told. The others, once they confirmed I was in one piece, wandered off to get ready as well. Even though they smiled and laughed, it was obviously a thinly veiled attempt at establishing normalcy. The absences in our group spoke volumes. We would have time to grieve when we held the memorials and funerals.

That just left me alone with my thoughts. I couldn't move from the position I'd landed in. I could keep all of my abilities and watch over the land with Arianrhod and my sisters, which would allow me to make sure my loved ones were safe. But if I did that, I'd never see any of them again. On the other hand, I could spend the rest of my days with my friends, but I would die quickly and most likely painfully. How on Earth was I supposed to make a decision?

* * *

><p>Arthur was right. Traveling on horseback, we made it to Camelot in half the time. The remaining knights had already been called back and were waiting when we arrived. And waiting with the knights…<p>

"HALE!" Alec and Isolde screamed. They wriggled out of their mother's hold and sprinted to me. I cracked a smile as they launched themselves at my legs.

"Is it true? Did you really beat Cairon?" Isolde asked eagerly.

"Yes," I said. I knelt down to their height. "Cairon is no more."

"Yay!" Alec cheered, doing a little happy dance. Kay walked over with a smile.

"I knew you could do it," he said, kissing my cheek affectionately. I flinched in surprise.

"What's the matter?" Kay asked in surprise, looking slightly hurt. I refused to let my eyes stray to Gwaine.

"I just… I have a lot on my mind right now," I whispered. I couldn't deal with my confusing feelings for Kay and Gwaine on top of my mother's ultimatum and the deaths of my friends.

"Are you alright, Hale?" Isolde asked. I took a shaky breath.

"Not right now, Isolde. I… lost some very good friends to that evil man, but I promise I will be okay soon," I told her gently. At the mention of my friends, I had to fight to hold back my tears. I would not cry in front of the children.

"Oh," Isolde said awkwardly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," I said. "They died fighting for what they believed in. They're heroes, and I'm sure they're having a great time wherever they are."

"Like papa?" Isolde asked. I smiled.

"Yes. Like your father," I replied.

"Hale," Kay began, looking stricken. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea -"

"It's fine," I cut him off. "Just don't worry about it, okay?" What I really meant was _please stop talking about it_, and thankfully Kay picked up on that.

What could I say to him? He hadn't been there, hadn't been in the battle wondering if all was truly lost.

I sent Isolde and Alec back to their mother, who looked at me worriedly. I pointedly ignored her concern. Perhaps it was rude, but if Vivian asked me what was wrong I feared I would completely break down. And with the way my life was crumbling around me, I knew a breakdown was a very real possibility.

* * *

><p>The next few days were the hardest because of the funerals. While we didn't have all the bodies, every fallen knight was given equal respect. I'd never cried so much or so hard, not even when Cairon was ruining my life.<p>

My pain was doubled since every time I interacted with my friends, I knew it could possibly the last time I ever saw them.

The choice should have been easy: give up the powers I never wanted and stay with the people I loved. However, the selfish part of me wondered if it was even worth staying with them if I could not truly be myself. I'm very independent, and being bedridden for the rest of my short life would most likely drive me mad. I would be less than myself. My friends would constantly worry about me and attempt to help even though it was useless. Was it worth subjecting my friends to that kind of struggle?

On the other hand, with my power I could ensure none of them ever suffered again. We had attended way too many funerals this week. I never wanted my friends to go to another. Arthur and Gwen could finally be together in peace. Merlin wouldn't have to hide anymore. The gypsies would no longer wander around, homeless and afraid. I'm sure Arthur wouldn't abandon the Druids either. And Gwaine… he could find someone new. He could let go, move on and _be happy_ without me.

That part killed me the most. After spending so long denying it, and then denying it again after losing and regaining my memories, I knew I was in love with Gwaine. I thought I felt something for Kay, but I think I was so desperate to feel loved and not alone I fooled myself into believing there was something. If I was being honest, my love for Gwaine was the reason it was so hard for me to make a decision. I wanted to be with Gwaine, but selfishly I didn't want him to see me so broken, which is what I would be if I stayed. But I also didn't want to let him go. Why was this so hard?

My musings were interrupted by the subject of my thoughts. Even with the dark circles under his eyes and his unkempt appearance (that tends to happen when mourning for days on end), I'd never loved him more.

"Hey," Gwaine said gently. "Are you okay? I mean," he backtracked seeing the look on my face. "Obviously no one's okay after we lost… so many people, but I mean you look particularly bad right now wait no, I mean, not _bad_ bad per se but worse than you have over the last few days which uh, _isn't a bad thing_ I mean it's been so hectic and gloomy around here and…" He trailed off when he noticed the tiny smirk on my face.

"I'm just going to shut up now," he finished sheepishly. He shuffled his feet and cleared his throat a few times. When I still didn't say anything, Gwaine sighed.

"Look, I'm not good with words, if you want a public speaker go ask Arthur, but I just want you to know that I'm here for you. We all are. You've been acting differently since you were kidnapped by your mother -" I opened my mouth to protest but he put a finger to my lips.

"Don't try to deny it, Hale, we've all noticed." I winced. And here I thought I'd managed to hide my feelings for once. Guess not.

"But," Gwaine continued. "I'm not going to push you. Clearly, whatever happened is not something you want to talk about. But when - if - you ever decide you need someone to talk to," he started to blush. "I'll be here. I - we love you," Gwaine stuttered. "You're not alone anymore. Just remember that, okay?"

That did it.

Gwaine's eyes widened comically as tears pricked the corner of my own.

"H-hey don't cry!" he yelped, failing his hands uselessly. "I didn't mean to make you upset!" I laughed and wiped my eyes.

"No Gwaine, I'm not upset. I'm grateful." At his puzzled frown, I just shook my head. "Never mind, it's nothing."

"It's not nothing if it makes you cry," he said, eyeing me dubiously.

"Well, it's nothing you need to worry about, promise," I told him. Then I gave him a slightly teary smile and threw my arms around him.

"Thank you for everything, Gwaine," I whispered into his ear. And I meant _everything_, from what we had gone through with Merlin and the others to the life we shared when our parents died.

I knew now that I couldn't bear to part with my loved ones, especially Gwaine. Even if our time together was short, I'd make the most of it and leave them with closure. I resolved to call my mother that night and tell her my decision.

* * *

><p>Near midnight, I snuck out of my chambers and into the forest. I ran until I found a clearing quite a ways from the castle. It wouldn't do to have someone stumbling upon this meeting.<p>

I wasn't entirely sure how to summon Arianrhod, but I decided to start with a simple summoning spell. She was probably waiting for me anyways, right?

Just as I was about to begin the spell, the flapping of great wings caught my attention. I looked up to see Kilgharrah landing in the clearing.

"Hello, my dear," the dragon greeted me politely.

"Hello," I replied.

"I see you've made your decision." A twinge of annoyance ran through me. Why do all magical creatures seem to know what's going on in my life?

"But before you inform the White Lady, there is something you must know." The dragon settled down like he was about to tell a story. "Everything that has happened with you, Cairon, Gilfaethwy and Arianrhod was not supposed to be." _Eh?_

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"This war with Cairon was never supposed to happen. You see, there is a prophecy for the land of Albion, which involves the young warlock and Arthur Pendragon. It is Merlin's job to protect and guide Arthur towards his destiny; to be the greatest king this land has ever seen. It is Arthur, with Merlin's help, who will unite Albion and establish reigning peace throughout the land." The dragon shook his head.

"But recent events have altered that destiny. Knights who were supposed to fight alongside Arthur are dead. Merlin's true nature has been revealed to the prince before the time was right. If Uther finds out, the consequences could be disastrous. None of this was supposed to happen." Did that mean everything was pointless? All our effort was wasted because eventually something worse would happen? What was going on?

"Your mother is a goddess. She has the power to set things right. But she cannot do that until you have made your decision. Which brings us here." The dragon's gaze pierced through me. "What have you decided, Hale Bricius?"

"I," I started, my throat dry. "I decided to stay here. Have my powers stripped and live with my friends… and the man I love." Kilgharrah bowed his head.

"I was afraid this would happen," he murmured. "Arianrhod was right; you love too deeply. In some ways, I wish you were greedy enough to crave power over your friends. It would make things so much less painful for you."

"You wish I was a lesser person?" I shouted furiously. "You wish I would take the easy way out?"

"No. I wish you hadn't chosen the harder path," Kilgharrah sighed tiredly.

"It is your life, Hale. After everything you've done, you deserve to be happy. You can live out the rest of your life in peace, even if your life won't be very long at all. I won't stop you. Just remember, in a way you will be living on borrowed time," the dragon said in resignation. "Now, I believe it's time to call your mother and inform her of your decision."

I stood numbly as the dragon performed some sort of spell I wasn't paying attention to. Why hadn't they told me this before? It would have made making my decision so much easier… Well, that was a lie. It would have given me even more to worry about. But now, I had to rethink the decision I'd made only hours before. Was my welfare worth more than the welfare of my friends?

* * *

><p>It didn't take long before a flash of white light announced Arianrhod's arrival.<p>

"You've made up your mind, my daughter?" she asked.

"Yes," I said. This was it. There was no going back now.

"I want to stay here, become mortal and live a short but happy life." Kilgharrah looked away and Arianrhod's shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"But, that wouldn't be right." I took a deep breath. "I've decided I'll join you, Ide and Jade as guardians of the land…" here my mother smiled and Kilgharrah whipped his head back to me. "On one condition." Arianrhod's smile vanished.

"Erase the memories of everyone in the five kingdoms." My mother raised an eyebrow.

"Why would you ask for such a thing?" she queried.

"Do you know of the prophecy of Albion?" She inclined her head. "Then you know everything has gone wrong. Cairon, Gilfaethwy, you, even me! We weren't supposed to interfere with this land, let alone try to destroy it. If you erase everyone's memories, then things will go back to the way they're supposed to be." Arianrhod considered this, then bowed her head. The dragon gave me a sad, but proud look.

"It will be done," she said solemnly. "Is that all?"

"Just one last thing. Leave Kay and the gypsies in charge of Actica." The goddess blinked.

"Why them?" she asked.

"They're good people. Kay is practically royalty anyway, and there is no one else I'd trust to take care of my former kingdom." My voice cracked as I finished. Why did it have to be this way? Arianrhod nodded.

"Alright then. But are you sure about this, Hale? If I do this, none of your friends will ever remember you, let alone love you. It will be as if you never existed in the first place. But you would remember it all. I can't tamper with your memories because you are not truly alive anymore, and that could cause permanent damage." I closed my eyes. It would be painful, but I knew it was the right thing to do.

"I know," I whispered. "But I don't want to forget them. They deserve to be remembered." Arianrhod sighed deeply.

"As you wish, my daughter."

**_END PART THREE_**


	40. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

_Four women quietly observed a crystal ball. The orb was suspended in mid air in a pure white room. In fact, nearly everything in the room was pure white - including its inhabitants. One was a pale, willowy blond. Her hair was wound in a simple bun at the base of her neck. Her features were serene and wise. The second was more angular, with a sharp nose and eyes. Her wavy brown hair cascaded down her back and was held away from her face by a slim silver band. The third was also a brunette. Her curls curtained around her face, hiding it from view. This last figure was hunched over as if the contents of the crystal ball were too fascinating to ignore. A small marten was settled on her shoulder, bright beady eyes watching the orb curiously._

_The most radiant of them all was a graceful woman in white. Her hauntingly beautiful face was ageless, as if time itself did not wish to disturb her beauty. Her white hair fell down her back in perfect waves. Her aura was very different from those of her three companions. This was the white goddess Arianrhod._

"_Things seem to be progressing smoothly," the White Lady remarked. The blond nodded her head._

"_Indeed. Emrys is doing a most impressive job of protecting his prince," she said. The angular brunette snorted._

"_Tch. He's had quite a few close calls so far. He should be more careful."_

"_Now now, Jade," the blond said soothingly. "He's doing his best."_

"_You're too soft, Ide," Jade grumbled._

"_Enough girls," the goddess intervened. "I agree with Ide. The boy is doing a fine job so far. I see no reason to worry yet. Come, we have other duties to attend to." Without another word, Arianrhod swept away with the two bickering sisters in tow. The third sister remained in her place watching the crystal ball. Her eyes tracked the colorful figures moving within the orbs depths, a smile crossing her face every now and then._

"_Hale?" Ide called. "Are you coming?"_

"_Yes," Hale replied softly. She leaned closer to the crystal ball and raised a hand as if to stroke it._

"_May you have long, blessed lives," she whispered. A single tear made its way down her cheek. "Thank you for everything, and goodbye." With that, Hale straightened up and faced her family. The last of Arianrhod's daughters gave the ball one final longing look before following her sisters and mother out of the room, and into her new life._

**_ENDE_**


End file.
